Prevalence and risk factors of depressive disorder in caregivers of patients with head and neck cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yu; Lin, Pao-Yen; Chien, Chih-Yen; Fang, Fu-Min

2015-02-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence and risk factors of depressive disorder in caregivers of patients with head and neck cancer. Study subjects were recruited from a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic for head and neck cancer in a medical center from February to July 2012. Caregivers of patients with head and neck cancer were enrolled and assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV, Clinician Version, the Short Form 36 Health Survey, and the Family APGAR index. The main aim of the study was to examine the difference in demographic data and clinical characteristics between the caregivers with and without depressive disorders. In addition, a stepwise forward model of logistic regression was used to test the possible risk factors. One hundred and forty-three caregivers were included in the study. The most prevalent psychiatric disorder was depressive disorder (14.7%), followed by adjustment disorder (13.3%). Nearly one-third of the caregivers had a psychiatric diagnosis. By using logistic regression analysis, it was found that unemployment (odds ratio (OR) = 3.16; 95% CI, 1.04-9.68), lower social functioning (OR = 1.43; 95% CI, 1.18-1.72), and lower educational level (OR = 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01-1.34) were significant risk factors for the depressive disorder. The clinical implication of our results is the value of using the standardized structured interview for early diagnosis of depressive disorder in caregivers of head and neck cancer patients. Early screening and management of depression in these caregivers will raise their quality of life and capability to care patients. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Modified Risk Factors of Health Heads of the Medical Organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. L. Zadvornaya

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: study and evaluation of modifiable potential risk factors of health of heads of medical organizations in terms of structural and technological modernization of the health system, the growing need for highly qualified management personnel. Efficiency of activity of medical associations largely due to the level of health managers, allowing to solve problems of activities of medical organizations in the modern fastchanging environmental conditions. Based on international experience and our own research the authors identified features of the state of health of heads of medical organizations, and the degree of exposure to risk factors for no communicable diseases; considered approaches to assess motivation and psychological readiness to promote the health and potential of managerial personnel in the formation of health-saving behavior. Methods: in the present study, the following methods were used: systemic approach, content analysis, methods of social diagnosis (questionnaires, interviews, comparative analysis, method of expert evaluations, and method of statistical processing of information. Results: reviewed and proposed approaches to use preventive measures prevention of risk factors of non-communicable diseases healthcare leaders, forming health-preserving behavior. Conclusions and Relevance: in modern scientific studies on the health of medical workers, including heads of medical institutions, defined the modern methodological approaches to formation of health-saving behavior and maintaining healthy lifestyle health care workers. Despite the high awareness of heads of medical organizations in the area of influence of risk factors on health, accessibility of medical care for the diagnosis and correction of risk factors of chronic no communicable diseases, risk factors of health among healthcare leaders have sufficient prevalence. Health-promoting behavior model is not a conscious lifestyle leader and formed as a reaction if you have

Bibliometric perspectives on medical innovation using the medical subject headings of PubMed

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leydesdorff, L.; Rotolo, D.; Rafols, I.

2012-01-01

Multiple perspectives on the nonlinear processes of medical innovations can be distinguished and combined using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) of the MEDLINE database. Focusing on three main branches—"diseases," "drugs and chemicals," and "techniques and equipment"—we use base maps and overlay

Transforming the Medical Subject Headings into Linked Data: Creating the Authorized Version of MeSH in RDF.

Science.gov (United States)

Bushman, Barbara; Anderson, David; Fu, Gang

In February 2014 the National Library of Medicine formed the Linked Data Infrastructure Working Group to investigate the potential for publishing linked data, determine best practices for publishing linked data, and prioritize linked data projects, beginning with transforming the Medical Subject Headings as a linked data pilot. This article will review the pilot project to convert the Medical Subject Headings from XML to RDF. It will discuss the collaborative process, the technical and organizational issues tackled, and the future of linked data at the library.

Does Head Start differentially benefit children with risks targeted by the program’s service model?☆

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Elizabeth B.; Farkas, George; Duncan, Greg J.

2015-01-01

Data from the Head Start Impact Study (N = 3540) were used to test for differential benefits of Head Start after one program year and after kindergarten on pre-academic and behavior outcomes for children at risk in the domains targeted by the program’s comprehensive services. Although random assignment to Head Start produced positive treatment main effects on children’s pre-academic skills and behavior problems, residualized growth models showed that random assignment to Head Start did not differentially benefit the pre-academic skills of children with risk factors targeted by the Head Start service model. The models showed detrimental impacts of Head Start for maternal-reported behavior problems of high-risk children, but slightly more positive impacts for teacher-reported behavior. Policy implications for Head Start are discussed. PMID:26379369

Blind links, a big challenge in the linked data idea: Analysis of Persian Subject Headings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atefeh Sharif

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this survey, Linked data concept as exposing, sharing, and connecting pieces of data, information, and knowledge on the Semantic Web and some potential problems in converting Persian subject headings (PSHs Records into linked data were discussed. A data set (11233 records of PSHs was searched in three information retrieval systems including National Library of Iran (NLI online catalog, Library of Congress (LC online catalog and NOSA books. Correct links between Persian and English subject headings in the 9519 common records of two catalogs were recorded. The results indicate that the links between Persian and English subjects in 20% of records were failed. The maximum error was associated with the anonymous databases (6/7 % in NLI online catalog. It is recommended to preprocess the PSHs records before any conversion projects. It seems that, during the preprocessing, the potential errors could be identified and corrected.

Ethical aspects of trade subject to risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gethmann, C.F.

1987-01-01

The paper pleads for unrestricted use of the requirement of rational risk comparison. The ethical aspects of the problem are that human beings cannot help expecting certain people to take risks and others to forsake them. Expectation of risk requires an ethical justification. Consideration of justification has of course to originate from the fact that both readiness to accept risk and also the preference system are subject to strong subjective variations. Consequently, intercession has to be made to compare the definition of subjective probability (competitiveness) and a subjective preference matrix as the basis for a rational definition of risk. General liability results first due to the fact that consistency can be expected from each individual in relation to the readiness to accept risk expected of him. According to the requirement for consistency introduced here, a readiness to accept risk may be expected of an individual which is otherwise already accepted. (orig.) [de

Risk factors for head injury events in professional rugby union: a video analysis of 464 head injury events to inform proposed injury prevention strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Ross; Raftery, Martin; Kemp, Simon; Brown, James; Fuller, Gordon; Hester, Ben; Cross, Matthew; Quarrie, Ken

2017-08-01

The tackle is responsible for the majority of head injuries during rugby union. In order to address head injury risk, risk factors during the tackle must first be identified. This study analysed tackle characteristics in the professional game in order to inform potential interventions. 464 tackles resulting in a head injury assessment (HIA) were analysed in detail, with tackle type, direction, speed, acceleration, nature of head contact and player body position the characteristics of interest. Propensity to cause an HIA was significantly greater for active shoulder tackles, front-on tackles, high speeder tackles and an accelerating tackler. Head contact between a tackler's head and ball carrier's head or shoulder was significantly more likely to cause an HIA than contact below the level of the shoulder (incident rate ratio (IRR) 4.25, 95%-CI 3.38 to 5.35). The tackler experiences the majority (78%) of HIAs when head-to-head contact occurs. An upright tackler was 1.5 times more likely to experience an HIA than a bent at the waist tackler (IRR 1.44, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.76). This study confirms that energy transfer in the tackle is a risk factor for head injury, since direction, type and speed all influence HIA propensity. The study provides evidence that body position and the height of tackles should be a focus for interventions, since lowering height and adopting a bent at the waist body position is associated with reduced risk for both tacklers and ball carriers. To this end, World Rugby has implemented law change based on the present data. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Advances and trends of head-up and head-down display systems in automobiles

Science.gov (United States)

Betancur, J. Alejandro; Osorio-Gomez, Gilberto; Agudelo, J. David

2014-06-01

Currently, in the automotive industry the interaction between drivers and Augmented Reality (AR) systems is a subject of analysis, especially the identification of advantages and risks that this kind of interaction represents. Consequently, this paper attempts to put in evidence the potential applications of Head-Up (Display (HUD) and Head-Down Display (HDD) systems in automotive vehicles, showing applications and trends under study. In general, automotive advances related to AR devices suggest the partial integration of the HUD and HDD in automobiles; however, the right way to do it is still a moot point.

Cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with psoriasis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Peter; Thyssen, Jacob P; Zachariae, Claus

2013-01-01

Background Epidemiological data have established an association between cardiovascular disease and psoriasis. Only one general population study has so far compared prevalences of cardiovascular risk factors among subjects with psoriasis and control subjects. We aimed to determine the prevalence...... of cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with and without psoriasis in the general population. Methods During 2006-2008, a cross-sectional study was performed in the general population in Copenhagen, Denmark. A total of 3471 subjects participated in a general health examination that included assessment of current...... between subjects with and without psoriasis with regard to traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusions Our results contrast with the hitherto-reported increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome in subjects with psoriasis in the general US population. However, our results agree with those of other...

A morphological comparison of the piriform sinuses in head-on and head-rotated views of seated subjects using cone-beam computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamashina, Atsushi; Tanimoto, Keiji; Ohtsuka, Masahiko; Nagasaki, Toshikazu; Sutthiprapaporn, Pipop; Iida, Yukihiro; Katsumata, Akitoshi

2008-01-01

Food flow in the oropharynx changes when the head is rotated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate morphological differences in the upper and lower piriform sinuses in head-on (HO) versus head-rotated (HR) positions. Ten healthy adult volunteers with no previous history of dysphagia were subjected to cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the HO and HR positions. Binary CBCT images were created at 50% gray scale to examine morphological changes in the lower piriform sinuses. Upon rotation to the right, the cross-sectional area of the left lower piriform sinus increased significantly (P=0.037). The depth of the right lower piriform sinus also increased significantly (P=0.011) upon rotation. The volume of the lower piriform sinuses increased significantly on both sides (right, P=0.009; left, P=0.013). The upper piriform sinuses acquired a teardrop shape, with the rotated side narrowed and opposite side enlarged. These results suggest that changes in food flow during head rotation result mainly from changes in the size and shape of the upper piriform sinuses. (author)

Characterizing head motion in three planes during combined visual and base of support disturbances in healthy and visually sensitive subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Keshner, E A; Dhaher, Y

2008-07-01

Multiplanar environmental motion could generate head instability, particularly if the visual surround moves in planes orthogonal to a physical disturbance. We combined sagittal plane surface translations with visual field disturbances in 12 healthy (29-31 years) and 3 visually sensitive (27-57 years) adults. Center of pressure (COP), peak head angles, and RMS values of head motion were calculated and a three-dimensional model of joint motion was developed to examine gross head motion in three planes. We found that subjects standing quietly in front of a visual scene translating in the sagittal plane produced significantly greater (pplane of platform motion significantly increased (phistory of vestibular disorder produced large, delayed compensatory head motion. Orthogonal head motions were significantly greater in visually sensitive than in healthy subjects in the dark (pplanes orthogonal to the direction of a physical perturbation. These results suggest that the mechanisms controlling head orientation in space are distinct from those that control trunk orientation in space. These behaviors would have been missed if only COP data were considered. Data suggest that rehabilitation training can be enhanced by combining visual and mechanical perturbation paradigms.

Potential risk factors for jaw osteoradionecrosis after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuhnt, Thomas; Stang, Andreas; Wienke, Andreas; Vordermark, Dirk; Schweyen, Ramona; Hey, Jeremias

2016-01-01

To identify potential risk factors for the development of jaw osteoradionecrosis (ORN) after 3D-conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) among patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer. This study included 776 patients who underwent 3D-CRT or IMRT for head and neck cancer at the Department of Radiotherapy at the University Hospital Halle-Wittenberg between 2003 and 2013. Sex, dental status prior to radiotherapy, tumor site, bone surgery during tumor resection, concomitant chemotherapy, and the development of advanced ORN were documented for each patient. ORN was classified as grade 3, 4, or 5 according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer classification or grade 3 or 4 according to the late effects in normal tissues/subjective, objective, management, and analytic scale. The cumulative incidence of ORN was estimated. Cox regression analysis was used to identify prognostic risk factors for the development of ORN. Fifty-one patients developed advanced ORN (relative frequency 6.6 %, cumulative incidence 12.4 %). The highest risk was found in patients who had undergone primary bone surgery during tumor resection (hazard ratio [HR] = 5.87; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 3.09–11.19) and in patients with tumors located in the oral cavity (HR = 4.69; 95 % CI: 1.33–16.52). Sex, dentition (dentulous vs. edentulous), and chemotherapy had no clinically relevant influence. In contrast to most previous studies, we noted a low cumulative incidence of advanced ORN. Patients with tumors located in the oral cavity and those who undergo bone surgery during tumor resection prior to RT may be considered a high-risk group for the development of ORN

Marijuana use and increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Z F; Morgenstern, H; Spitz, M R; Tashkin, D P; Yu, G P; Marshall, J R; Hsu, T C; Schantz, S P

1999-12-01

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. In some subcultures, it is widely perceived to be harmless. Although the carcinogenic properties of marijuana smoke are similar to those of tobacco, no epidemiological studies of the relationship between marijuana use and head and neck cancer have been published. The relationship between marijuana use and head and neck cancer was investigated by a case-control study of 173 previously untreated cases with pathologically confirmed diagnoses of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and 176 cancer-free controls at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1992 and 1994. Epidemiological data were collected by using a structured questionnaire, which included history of tobacco smoking, alcohol use, and marijuana use. The associations between marijuana use and head and neck cancer were analyzed by Mantel-Haenszel methods and logistic regression models. Controlling for age, sex, race, education, alcohol consumption, pack-years of cigarette smoking, and passive smoking, the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck was increased with marijuana use [odds ratio (OR) comparing ever with never users, 2.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1-6.6]. Dose-response relationships were observed for frequency of marijuana use/day (P for trend marijuana use (P for trend marijuana use were observed with cigarette smoking, mutagen sensitivity, and to a lesser extent, alcohol use. Our results suggest that marijuana use may increase the risk of head and neck cancer with a strong dose-response pattern. Our analysis indicated that marijuana use may interact with mutagen sensitivity and other risk factors to increase the risk of head and neck cancer. The results need to be interpreted with some caution in drawing causal inferences because of certain methodological limitations, especially with regard to interactions.

Vestibulo-ocular reflex gain values in the suppression head impulse test of healthy subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Rey-Martinez, Jorge; Thomas-Arrizabalaga, Izaskun; Espinosa-Sanchez, Juan Manuel; Batuecas-Caletrio, Angel; Trinidad-Ruiz, Gabriel; Matiño-Soler, Eusebi; Perez-Fernandez, Nicolas

2018-02-15

To assess whether there are differences in vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain for suppression head impulse (SHIMP) and head impulse (HIMP) video head impulse test paradigms, and if so, what are their causes. Prospective multicenter observational double-blind nonrandomized clinical study was performed by collecting 80 healthy subjects from four reference hospitals. SHIMP data was postprocessed to eliminate impulses in which early SHIMP saccades were detected. Differences between HIMP and SHIMP VOR gain values were statistically evaluated. Head impulse maximum velocity, gender, age, direction of impulse, and hospital center were considered as possible influential factors. A small significant statistical difference between HIMP and SHIMP VOR gain values was found on repeated measures analysis of variance (-0.05 ± 0.006, P gain values and did not find influence between gain values differences and maximum head impulse velocity. Both HIMP and SHIMP VOR gain values were significant lower (-0.09, P gain values not adequately explained by known gain modification factors. The persistence of this slight but significant difference indicates that there are more factors causing lower SHIMP VOR gain values. This difference must to be considered in further studies as well as in the clinical SHIMP testing protocols. We hypothesized that VOR phasic response inhibition could be the underlying cause of this difference. IIb. Laryngoscope, 2018. © 2018 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Can Predictive Modeling Identify Head and Neck Oncology Patients at Risk for Readmission?

Science.gov (United States)

Manning, Amy M; Casper, Keith A; Peter, Kay St; Wilson, Keith M; Mark, Jonathan R; Collar, Ryan M

2018-05-01

Objective Unplanned readmission within 30 days is a contributor to health care costs in the United States. The use of predictive modeling during hospitalization to identify patients at risk for readmission offers a novel approach to quality improvement and cost reduction. Study Design Two-phase study including retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data followed by prospective longitudinal study. Setting Tertiary academic medical center. Subjects and Methods Prospectively collected data for patients undergoing surgical treatment for head and neck cancer from January 2013 to January 2015 were used to build predictive models for readmission within 30 days of discharge using logistic regression, classification and regression tree (CART) analysis, and random forests. One model (logistic regression) was then placed prospectively into the discharge workflow from March 2016 to May 2016 to determine the model's ability to predict which patients would be readmitted within 30 days. Results In total, 174 admissions had descriptive data. Thirty-two were excluded due to incomplete data. Logistic regression, CART, and random forest predictive models were constructed using the remaining 142 admissions. When applied to 106 consecutive prospective head and neck oncology patients at the time of discharge, the logistic regression model predicted readmissions with a specificity of 94%, a sensitivity of 47%, a negative predictive value of 90%, and a positive predictive value of 62% (odds ratio, 14.9; 95% confidence interval, 4.02-55.45). Conclusion Prospectively collected head and neck cancer databases can be used to develop predictive models that can accurately predict which patients will be readmitted. This offers valuable support for quality improvement initiatives and readmission-related cost reduction in head and neck cancer care.

Heading and head injuries in soccer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirkendall, D T; Jordan, S E; Garrett, W E

2001-01-01

In the world of sports, soccer is unique because of the purposeful use of the unprotected head for controlling and advancing the ball. This skill obviously places the player at risk of head injury and the game does carry some risk. Head injury can be a result of contact of the head with another head (or other body parts), ground, goal post, other unknown objects or even the ball. Such impacts can lead to contusions, fractures, eye injuries, concussions or even, in rare cases, death. Coaches, players, parents and physicians are rightly concerned about the risk of head injury in soccer. Current research shows that selected soccer players have some degree of cognitive dysfunction. It is important to determine the reasons behind such deficits. Purposeful heading has been blamed, but a closer look at the studies that focus on heading has revealed methodological concerns that question the validity of blaming purposeful heading of the ball. The player's history and age (did they play when the ball was leather and could absorb significant amounts of water), alcohol intake, drug intake, learning disabilities, concussion definition and control group use/composition are all factors that cloud the ability to blame purposeful heading. What does seem clear is that a player's history of concussive episodes is a more likely explanation for cognitive deficits. While it is likely that the subconcussive impact of purposeful heading is a doubtful factor in the noted deficits, it is unknown whether multiple subconcussive impacts might have some lingering effects. In addition, it is unknown whether the noted deficits have any affect on daily life. Proper instruction in the technique is critical because if the ball contacts an unprepared head (as in accidental head-ball contacts), the potential for serious injury is possible. To further our understanding of the relationship of heading, head injury and cognitive deficits, we need to: learn more about the actual impact of a ball on the

Development of a screening MRI for infants at risk for abusive head trauma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flom, Lynda; Panigrahy, Ashok [Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Department of Radiology, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Fromkin, Janet [University of Pittsburgh, Department of Pediatrics, Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Tyler-Kabara, Elizabeth [University of Pittsburgh, Department of Neurosurgery, Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Berger, Rachel P. [University of Pittsburgh, Department of Pediatrics, Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); University of Pittsburgh, Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

2016-04-15

Abusive head trauma (AHT) is an important cause of morbidity in infants. Identifying which well-appearing infants are at risk for AHT and need neuroimaging is challenging, and concern about radiation exposure limits the use of head CT. Availability of an MRI protocol that is highly sensitive for intracranial hemorrhage would allow for AHT screening of well-appearing infants without exposing them to radiation. To develop a screening MRI protocol to identify intracranial hemorrhage in well-appearing infants at risk for AHT. Infants enrolled in a parent study of well-appearing infants at increased risk for AHT were eligible for the current study if they underwent both head CT and conventional brain MRI. A derivation cohort of nine infants with AHT was used to identify sequences that provided the highest sensitivity for intracranial hemorrhage. A validation cohort of 78 infants including both controls with normal neuroimaging and cases with AHT was used to evaluate the accuracy of the selected sequences. Three pulse sequences - axial T2, axial gradient recalled echo (GRE) and coronal T1-W inversion recovery - were 100% sensitive for intracranial hemorrhage in the derivation cohort. The same sequences were 100% sensitive (25/25) and 83% specific (44/53) for intracranial hemorrhage in the validation cohort. A screening MRI protocol including axial T2, axial GRE and coronal T1-W inversion recovery sequences is highly sensitive for intracranial hemorrhage and may be useful as a screening tool to differentiate well-appearing infants at risk for AHT who should undergo head CT from those who can safely be discharged without head CT. Additional research is needed to evaluate the feasibility of this approach in clinical practice. (orig.)

Gender differences in head-neck segment dynamic stabilization during head acceleration.

Science.gov (United States)

Tierney, Ryan T; Sitler, Michael R; Swanik, C Buz; Swanik, Kathleen A; Higgins, Michael; Torg, Joseph

2005-02-01

Recent epidemiological research has revealed that gender differences exist in concussion incidence but no study has investigated why females may be at greater risk of concussion. Our purpose was to determine whether gender differences existed in head-neck segment kinematic and neuromuscular control variables responses to an external force application with and without neck muscle preactivation. Forty (20 females and 20 males) physically active volunteers participated in the study. The independent variables were gender, force application (known vs unknown), and force direction (forced flexion vs forced extension). The dependent variables were kinematic and EMG variables, head-neck segment stiffness, and head-neck segment flexor and extensor isometric strength. Statistical analyses consisted of multiple multivariate and univariate analyses of variance, follow-up univariate analyses of variance, and t-tests (P Gender differences existed in head-neck segment dynamic stabilization during head angular acceleration. Females exhibited significantly greater head-neck segment peak angular acceleration (50%) and displacement (39%) than males despite initiating muscle activity significantly earlier (SCM only) and using a greater percentage of their maximum head-neck segment muscle activity (79% peak activity and 117% muscle activity area). The head-neck segment angular acceleration differences may be because females exhibited significantly less isometric strength (49%), neck girth (30%), and head mass (43%), resulting in lower levels of head-neck segment stiffness (29%). For our subject demographic, the results revealed gender differences in head-neck segment dynamic stabilization during head acceleration in response to an external force application. Females exhibited significantly greater head-neck segment peak angular acceleration and displacement than males despite initiating muscle activity earlier (SCM only) and using a greater percentage of their maximum head-neck segment

Risk ON/Risk OFF: Risk-Taking Varies with Subjectively Preferred and Disliked Music.

Science.gov (United States)

Halko, Marja-Liisa; Kaustia, Markku

2015-01-01

In this paper we conduct a within-subjects experiment in which teenagers go over 256 gambles with real money gains and losses. For each risky gamble they choose whether to participate in it, or pass. Prior to this main experiment subjects identify specific songs belonging to their favorite musical genre, as well as songs representing a style they dislike. In the main experiment we vary the music playing in the background, so that each subject hears some of their favorite music, and some disliked music, alternating in blocks of 16 gambles. We find that favorite music increases risk-taking ('risk on'), and disliked music suppresses risk-taking ('risk off'), compared to a baseline of no music. Literature in psychology proposes several mechanisms by which mood affects risk-taking, but none of them fully explain the results in our setting. The results are, however, consistent with the economics notion of preference complementarity, extended to the domain of risk preference. The preference structure implied by our results is more complex than previously thought, yet realistic, and consistent with recent theoretical models. More generally, this mechanism offers a potential explanation to why risk-taking is known to change over time and across contexts.

Meta-analytic evaluation of the association between head injury and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Yukari; Watanabe, Takamitsu

2017-10-01

Head injury is considered as a potential risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, several recent studies have suggested that head injury is not a cause, but a consequence of latent ALS. We aimed to evaluate such a possibility of reverse causation with meta-analyses considering time lags between the incidence of head injuries and the occurrence of ALS. We searched Medline and Web of Science for case-control, cross-sectional, or cohort studies that quantitatively investigated the head-injury-related risk of ALS and were published until 1 December 2016. After selecting appropriate publications based on PRISMA statement, we performed random-effects meta-analyses to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Sixteen of 825 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria. The association between head injuries and ALS was statistically significant when the meta-analysis included all the 16 studies (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.21-1.74). However, in the meta-analyses considering the time lags between the experience of head injuries and diagnosis of ALS, the association was weaker (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.01-1.46, time lag ≥ 1 year) or not significant (e.g. OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.84-1.59, time lag ≥ 3 years). Although it did not deny associations between head injuries and ALS, the current study suggests a possibility that such a head-injury-oriented risk of ALS has been somewhat overestimated. For more accurate evaluation, it would be necessary to conduct more epidemiological studies that consider the time lags between the occurrence of head injuries and the diagnosis of ALS.

Mild pulmonary emphysema a risk factor for interstitial lung disease when using cetuximab for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Science.gov (United States)

Okamoto, Isaku; Tsukahara, Kiyoaki; Sato, Hiroki; Motohashi, Ray; Yunaiyama, Daisuke; Shimizu, Akira

2017-12-01

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is an occasionally fatal adverse event associated with cetuximab (Cmab) therapy. Our objective was to clarify to what degree pulmonary emphysema is a risk factor in the treatment of head and neck cancer with Cmab through a retrospective analysis. Subjects were 116 patients who were administered Cmab for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The degree of pulmonary emphysema before initiating treatment with Cmab was visually assessed retrospectively, with scoring according to the Goddard classification used in Japanese chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) guidelines for chest computed tomography (CT). Scoring was conducted by two diagnostic radiologists and mean scores were used. Cutoffs for the development and nondevelopment of ILD were examined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and Fisher's exact test. Values of p pulmonary emphysema would represent a risk factor for ILD when using Cmab.

Intracranial traumatic lesion risk factors in elderly patients with minor head injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kochi, Masato; Hori, Shigeaki

2011-01-01

The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of the risk factors of intracranial traumatic lesions in elderly patients with minor head injury. Sixty-nine elderly patients with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of 13-15 after head injury who had presented within 24 hours of trauma and admitted to hospital were included in this study. The indications for admission were a GCS score of 13 or 14 on presentation, loss of consciousness, retrograde or posttraumatic amnesia, local neurological deficit, severe headache and vomiting, dangerous mechanism of injury, skull fracture and abnormal CT findings. The relationship between the clinical findings and intracranial traumatic lesions was analized by univariate and multivariate analysis. The relationship between the clinical findings and surgical intervention was also analized by the same methods in those who had intracranial traumatic lesions. The mean and median age of patients were 81.1 and 83 years, respectively. Of 69 patients, 41 had intracranial traumatic lesions present on their CT scan. Of these, 6 needed surgical intervention. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13 and a loss of consciousness at injury were identified as independent risk factors of intracranial traumatic lesions in elderly patients with minor head injury and a dangerous mechanism of injury was identified as an independent risk factor of surgical intervention in those who had traumatic intracranial lesions. Our results offer useful information for evaluating patients with minor head injury in Japan's aging society. (author)

Metab2MeSH: annotating compounds with medical subject headings.

Science.gov (United States)

Sartor, Maureen A; Ade, Alex; Wright, Zach; States, David; Omenn, Gilbert S; Athey, Brian; Karnovsky, Alla

2012-05-15

Progress in high-throughput genomic technologies has led to the development of a variety of resources that link genes to functional information contained in the biomedical literature. However, tools attempting to link small molecules to normal and diseased physiology and published data relevant to biologists and clinical investigators, are still lacking. With metabolomics rapidly emerging as a new omics field, the task of annotating small molecule metabolites becomes highly relevant. Our tool Metab2MeSH uses a statistical approach to reliably and automatically annotate compounds with concepts defined in Medical Subject Headings, and the National Library of Medicine's controlled vocabulary for biomedical concepts. These annotations provide links from compounds to biomedical literature and complement existing resources such as PubChem and the Human Metabolome Database.

Efficacy of Positive Thinking Training on the Family Process and Subjective Wellbeing of Female Heads of Household

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

محمد خدایاری فرد

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The present study was designed to investigate the efficacy of positive thinking training on family process and subjective wellbeing of female heads of household. The method was a semi-experimental with pretest-posttest and control group; and the study population included all female heads of household residing in Chaharbagh, Alborz province, who have at least one primary school-kid.  Using available sampling method, 50 women were selected among school-students’ mothers, and were randomly assigned into two equal groups of experimental and control groups. Both groups filled Self-Report Family Process Scale (SFPS and Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (SWQ. The experimental group received positive thinking training for eight 2-hours-sessions. Then, all participants were assessed again as the posttest. The data were analyzed by covariance analysis method. Findings showed that after the intervention family process scores of experimental group had been significantly improved, while subjective wellbeing scores had not significantly enhanced. Therefore, it can be told that the present program was effective in increasing the family process, though it went ineffective in improving subjective wellbeing in these irritable individuals. Thus, altering and enriching the program and conducting further investigations seems necessary.

The "polyenviromic risk score": Aggregating environmental risk factors predicts conversion to psychosis in familial high-risk subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Padmanabhan, Jaya L; Shah, Jai L; Tandon, Neeraj; Keshavan, Matcheri S

2017-03-01

Young relatives of individuals with schizophrenia (i.e. youth at familial high-risk, FHR) are at increased risk of developing psychotic disorders, and show higher rates of psychiatric symptoms, cognitive and neurobiological abnormalities than non-relatives. It is not known whether overall exposure to environmental risk factors increases risk of conversion to psychosis in FHR subjects. Subjects consisted of a pilot longitudinal sample of 83 young FHR subjects. As a proof of principle, we examined whether an aggregate score of exposure to environmental risk factors, which we term a 'polyenviromic risk score' (PERS), could predict conversion to psychosis. The PERS combines known environmental risk factors including cannabis use, urbanicity, season of birth, paternal age, obstetric and perinatal complications, and various types of childhood adversity, each weighted by its odds ratio for association with psychosis in the literature. A higher PERS was significantly associated with conversion to psychosis in young, familial high-risk subjects (OR=1.97, p=0.009). A model combining the PERS and clinical predictors had a sensitivity of 27% and specificity of 96%. An aggregate index of environmental risk may help predict conversion to psychosis in FHR subjects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Trismus following different treatment modalities for head and neck cancer: a systematic review of subjective measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Loh, Sook Y; Mcleod, Robert W J; Elhassan, Hassan A

2017-07-01

The aim of this review was to compare systematically the subjective measure of trismus between different interventions to treat head and neck cancer, particularly those of the oropharynx. Using The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Guidelines, Six databases were searched for the text using various terms which include "oropharyngeal/head and neck cancer", "trismus/mouth opening" and the various treatment modalities. Included in the review were clinical studies (> or =10 patients). Three observers independently assessed the papers identified. Among the six studies reviewed, five showed a significantly worst outcome with regard to the quality-of-life questionnaire scores for a radiotherapy or surgery and radiotherapy (RT) ± chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy when compared to surgery alone. Only one study showed no significant difference between surgery alone and other treatment modalities. Subjective quality-of-life measures are a concurrent part of modern surgical practice. Although subjective measures were utilised to measure post operative trismus successfully, there was no consensus as to which treatment modality had overall better outcomes, with conflicting studies in keeping with the current debate in this field. Larger and higher quality studies are needed to compare all three treatment modalities.

Effects of rapid maxillary expansion on head posture, postural stability, and fall risk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatih Celebi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of rapid maxillary expansion (RME on head posture, postural stability, and fall risk. Materials and Methods: A sample of 51 adolescent patients was randomly divided into two groups. In the first group, which consisted of 28 patients (15 females and 13 males, RME was performed as a part of routine orthodontic treatment. The remaining 23 individuals (12 females and 11 males served as the control group. Lateral cephalometric radiographs taken in natural head position, postural stability, and fall risk scores were obtained during the first visit. They were repeated on average 3.8 months and 3.5 months later for the study and control groups, respectively. The changes were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, paired samples t-test, Mann–Whitney U-test, and independent samples t-test. Results: As a result of RME, a statistically significant decrease was detected in the fall risk score (P < 0.05 in the study group, while the head position and postural stability remained unchanged. For the control group, no significant changes were observed in all measurements. Conclusions: The result of the present study suggests that RME has a capacity of improving fall risk.

Clinical Risk Factors for Head Impact During Falls in Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study in Long-Term Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yijian; Mackey, Dawn C; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa; Leung, Pet-Ming; Feldman, Fabio; Robinovitch, Stephen N

To examine risk factors associated with head impact during falls in older adults in long-term care (LTC). Two LTC facilities in British Columbia, Canada. 160 LTC residents. Prospective cohort study. Between 2007 and 2014, we video captured 520 falls experienced by participants. Each fall video was analyzed to determine whether impact occurred to the head. Using generalized estimating equation models, we examined how head impact was associated with other fall characteristics and health status prior to the fall. Head impact occurred in 33% of falls. Individuals with mild cognitive impairment were at higher risk for head impact (odds ratio = 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-5.0) than those with more severe cognitive impairment. Impaired vision was associated with 2.0-fold (1.3-3.0) higher odds of head impact. Women were 2.2 times (1.4-3.3) more likely than men to impact their head during a fall. Head impact is common during falls in LTC, with less cognitively impaired, female residents who suffered from visual impairment, being most likely to impact their head. Future research should focus on improving our ability to detect neural consequences of head impact and evaluating the effect of interventions for reducing the risk for fall-related head injuries in LTC.

Risk of Parkinson's disease after hospital contact for head injury

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rugbjerg, Kathrine; Ritz, Beate; Korbo, Lise

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a hospital contact for a head injury increases the risk of subsequently developing Parkinson's disease. DESIGN: Population based case-control study. SETTING: Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: 13 695 patients with a primary diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in the Danish national...... of history of head injury. RESULTS: An overall 50% increase in prevalence of hospital contacts for head injury was seen before the first registration of Parkinson's disease in this population (odds ratio 1.5, 95% confidence interval 1.4 to 1.7). The observed association was, however, due almost entirely...... to injuries that occurred during the three months before the first record of Parkinson's disease (odds ratio 8.0, 5.6 to 11.6), and no association was found between the two events when they occurred 10 or more years apart (1.1, 0.9 to 1.3). CONCLUSIONS: The steeply increased frequency of hospital contacts...

Suspected alcohol and addictive narcotic use were more at risk to severe head injury

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Woro Riyadina

2012-07-01

Support System for Injury Surveillance”. Data collected by abstraction of medical records by trained personnel using registry form in patients who had hospitalized in 3 hospitals from January to August 2010. Severe head injury classified by the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS score 3-9 diagnosed severe head injury, 10-12 moderate head injury and 13-15 mild head injury. Results: Out of 450 injured patients, 36 patients (8% who had severe head injuries. Patient who was suspected alcohol and addictive narcotic use had nearly 5-fold increase the risk in severe head injury [adjusted odds ratio (ORa=4.77; 95% confidence interval (CI=1.04-21.75] compared to not suspected. Patient who was referred had a 5.5-fold increase the risk in severe head injury (ORa=5.50; 95% CI=2.28-13.27 compared with not referred. Injured person due to traffic accident than other type of accident had 3-fold increase the risk of severe head injury (ORa=3.43; 95% CI=1.14-10.32. Conclusion: Suspected alcohol or addictive narcotic was the highest risk to severe head injury. Campaign against alcohol and addictive narcotic should be done to prevent head injury severity. (Health Science Indones 2011;34-40

Incidence and risk factors of refeeding syndrome in head and neck cancer patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Stine Ostenfeldt; Kristensen, Marianne Boll; Wessel, Irene

2016-01-01

This study aimed to determine the incidence rates of refeeding phenomena (defined as a decline in p-phosphate) and refeeding syndrome (RFS; defined as development of clinical symptoms in addition to a decline in p-phosphate) in head and neck cancer patients, and to identify risk factors. Fifty......-four head and neck cancer patients referred for surgery were included. Forty-six potential risk factors were registered at the baseline, and p-phosphate was measured at Days 2, 4, and 7. Eleven patients (20%) developed RFS, and twenty-eight (52%) developed refeeding phenomena. At baseline, these patients...... presented a higher prevalence of head and neck pain, eating difficulties, higher p-phosphate levels, lower p-transferrin levels, and, in men, lower b-hemoglobin levels. Patients who developed symptoms had a decline in p-phosphate ≥0.22 mmol/l. At baseline, these patients had higher p-phosphate levels...

Hyoid bone position and head posture comparison in skeletal Class I and Class II subjects: A retrospective cephalometric study

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Pawankumar Dnyandeo Tekale

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the hyoid bone position and the head posture using lateral cephalograms in subjects with skeletal Class I and skeletal Class II pattern and to investigate the gender differences. Materials and Methods: The study used lateral cephalograms of 40 subjects (20 skeletal Class I pattern; 20 skeletal Class II pattern. Lateral cephalograms were traced and analyzed for evaluation of the hyoid bone position and the head posture using 34 parameters. Independent sample t-test was performed to compare the differences between the two groups and between genders in each group. Statistical tests were performed using NCSS 2007 software (NCSST, Kaysville, Utah, USA. Results: The linear measurements between the hyoid bone (H and cervical spine (CV2ia, the nasion-sella line, palatal line nasion line, the anterior nasal spine (ANS to perpendicular projection of H on the NLP (NLP- Nasal Linear Projection (H-NLP/ANS as well as the posterior cranial points (Bo, Ar and S points were found to be less in skeletal Class II subjects. The measurement H-CV2ia was found to be less in males with skeletal Class I pattern and H-CV4ia was found to be less in males with skeletal Class II pattern. The natural head posture showed no significant gender differences. Conclusion: The position of hyoid bone was closer to the cervical vertebra horizontally in skeletal Class II subjects when compared with skeletal Class I subjects. In males, the hyoid bone position was closer to the cervical vertebra horizontally both in skeletal Class I and skeletal Class II subjects.

Buckling calculations with the CEASEMT system for elliptical heads subjected to an internal pressure. Comparison with the Saclay experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bung, Hariddh; Alix, Michel; Hoffmann, Alain.

1980-06-01

In this paper, Buckling calculations with the CEASEMT System (INCA) are compared with experimental results obtained on elliptical heads subjected to an internal pressure. Tests were performed with 18 ellipsoidal heads welded on cylinders made of carbon steel A 36-401, stainless steel Z6CN18-09 and aluminium-magnesium alloys (AG3). Experimental data are higher than calculated data, this leads to a good safety factor [fr

Episodic vertigo resulting from vascular risk factors, cervical spondylosis and head rotation: Two case reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Owolabi, Mayowa O; Ogah, Okechukwu S; Ogunniyi, Adesola

2007-01-01

Vascular risk factors predispose to vertebrobasilar ischemia. Cervical osteophytes can impinge on the vertebral artery causing mechanical occlusion during head turning. Presentation with vertigo in such instances is a common finding. A patient with obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, cervical spondylosis, and vertigo triggered by head rotation is presented. She responded to antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs, vestibular sedative and application of cervical collar. The second patient also exhibited similar features and responded to conservative treatment. Rotational vertebral artery occlusion resulting from cervical spondylosis in the presence of atherosclerosed collateral vessels is a cause of posterior circulation insufficiency manifesting as vertigo. The tetrad of vertigo resulting from vascular risk factors, cervical spondylosis, and head rotation is proposed for further research.

Motorcycle helmet type and the risk of head injury and neck injury during motorcycle collisions in California.

Science.gov (United States)

Erhardt, Taryn; Rice, Thomas; Troszak, Lara; Zhu, Motao

2016-01-01

The use of novelty motorcycle helmets is often prompted by beliefs that wearing a standard helmet can contribute to neck injury during traffic collisions. The goal of this analysis was to examine the association between helmet type and neck injury risk and the association between helmet type and head injury. Data were collected during the investigation of motorcycle collisions of any injury severity by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and 83 local law enforcement agencies in California between June 2012 and July 2013. We estimated head injury and neck injury risk ratios from data on 7051 collision-involved motorcyclists using log-binomial regression. Helmet type was strongly associated with head injury occurrence but was not associated with the occurrence of neck injury. Rider age, rider alcohol use, and motorcycle speed were strong, positive predictors of both head and neck injury. Interventions to improve motorcycle helmet choice and to counteract misplaced concerns surrounding neck injury risk are likely to lead to reductions in head injury, brain injury, and death. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Head circumference, education and risk of dementia: findings from the Nun Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mortimer, James A; Snowdon, David A; Markesbery, William R

2003-08-01

To examine the prevalence of dementia associated with having a smaller brain, lower education or both of these characteristics, 294 Catholic sisters were assessed annually for dementia. Sixty participants died and their brains were evaluated to determine fulfillment of neuropathological criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Lower educational attainment and the interaction of smaller head circumference with lower education were associated with the presence of dementia, controlling for age and the presence of one or more apolipoprotein E-epsilon 4 alleles. By contrast, neither low educational attainment nor head circumference was significantly associated with fulfillment of neuropathological criteria for AD. Individuals having both low education and small head circumference were four times as likely to be demented as the rest of the sample. The findings suggest that higher education and larger head size, alone or in combination, may reduce the risk of expressing dementia in late life.

Estimation of effective dose and lifetime attributable risk from multiple head CT scans in ventriculoperitoneal shunted children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aw-Zoretic, J.; Seth, D.; Katzman, G.; Sammet, S.

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this review is to determine the averaged effective dose and lifetime attributable risk factor from multiple head computed tomography (CT) dose data on children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS). Method and materials: A total of 422 paediatric head CT exams were found between October 2008 and January 2011 and retrospectively reviewed. The CT dose data was weighted with the latest IRCP 103 conversion factor to obtain the effective dose per study and the averaged effective dose was calculated. Estimates of the lifetime attributable risk were also calculated from the averaged effective dose using a conversion factor from the latest BEIR VII report. Results: Our study found the highest effective doses in neonates and the lowest effective doses were observed in the 10–18 years age group. We estimated a 0.007% potential increase risk in neonates and 0.001% potential increased risk in teenagers over the base risk. Conclusion: Multiple head CTs in children equates to a slight potential increase risk in lifetime attributable risk over the baseline risk for cancer, slightly higher in neonates relative to teenagers. The potential risks versus clinical benefit must be assessed

Fall Risk Assessment Predicts Fall-Related Injury, Hip Fracture, and Head Injury in Older Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsson, Martin; Eriksson, Joel; Larsson, Berit; Odén, Anders; Johansson, Helena; Lorentzon, Mattias

2016-11-01

To investigate the role of a fall risk assessment, using the Downton Fall Risk Index (DFRI), in predicting fall-related injury, fall-related head injury and hip fracture, and death, in a large cohort of older women and men residing in Sweden. Cross sectional observational study. Sweden. Older adults (mean age 82.4 ± 7.8) who had a fall risk assessment using the DFRI at baseline (N = 128,596). Information on all fall-related injuries, all fall-related head injuries and hip fractures, and all-cause mortality was collected from the Swedish Patient Register and Cause of Death Register. The predictive role of DFRI was calculated using Poisson regression models with age, sex, height, weight, and comorbidities as covariates, taking time to outcome or end of study into account. During a median follow-up of 253 days (interquartile range 90-402 days) (>80,000 patient-years), 15,299 participants had a fall-related injury, 2,864 a head injury, and 2,557 a hip fracture, and 23,307 died. High fall risk (DFRI ≥3) independently predicted fall-related injury (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.39-1.49), hip fracture (HR = 1.51, 95% CI =1.38-1.66), head injury (HR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.03-1.22), and all-cause mortality (HR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.35-1.43). DFRI more strongly predicted head injury (HR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.21-1.36 vs HR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.04-1.11) and hip fracture (HR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.30-1.53 vs HR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.05-1.11) in 70-year old men than in 90-year old women (P Fall risk assessment using DFRI independently predicts fall-related injury, fall-related head injury and hip fracture, and all-cause mortality in older men and women, indicating its clinical usefulness to identify individuals who would benefit from interventions. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The American Geriatrics Society.

Reduction of cancer risk by optimization of Computed Tomography head protocols: far eastern Cuban experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller Clemente, R.; Adame Brooks, D.; Lores Guevara, M.; Perez Diaz, M.; Arias Garlobo, M. L.; Ortega Rodriguez, O.; Nepite Haber, R.; Grinnan Hernandez, O.; Guillama Llosas, A.

2015-01-01

The cancer risk estimation constitutes one way for the evaluation of the public health, regarding computed tomography (CT) exposures. Starting from the hypothesis that the optimization of CT protocols would reduce significantly the added cancer risk, the purpose of this research was the application of optimization strategies regarding head CT protocols, in order to reduce the factors affecting the risk of induced cancer. The applied systemic approach included technological and human components, represented by quantitative physical factors. the volumetric kerma indexes, compared with respect to standard, optimized and reference values, were evaluated with multiple means comparison method. The added cancer risk resulted from the application of the methodology for biological effects evaluation, at low doses with low Linear Energy Transfer. Human observers in all scenarios evaluated the image quality. the reduced dose was significantly lower than for standard head protocols and reference levels, where: (1) for pediatric patients, by using an Automatic Exposure Control system, a reduction of 31% compared with standard protocol and ages range of 10-14, and (2) adults, using a Bilateral Filter for images obtained at low doses of 62% from those of standard head protocol. The risk reduction was higher than 25%. The systemic approach used allows the effective identification of factors involved on cancer risk related with exposures to CT. The combination of dose modulation and image restoration with Bilateral Filter, provide a significantly reduction of cancer risk, with acceptable diagnostic image quality. (Author)

Brain Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography in Anosmic Subjects Ater Closed Head Trauma

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Roozbeh Banan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Anosmia following head trauma is relatively common and in many cases is persistent and irreversible. The ability to objectively measure such a decline in smelling, for both clinical and medicolegal goals, is very important. The aim of this study was to find results of brain Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT in anosmic subjects after closed head trauma. This case-control cross sectional study was conducted in a tertiary referral University Hospital. The brain perfusion state of nineteen anosmic patients and thirteen normal controls was evaluated by means of the SPECT with 99mtc- ECD infusion- before and after olfactory stimulation. The orbitofrontal lobe of the brain was assumed as the region of interest and changes in perfusion of this area before and after the stimulations were compared in two groups. The mean of brain perfusion in controls before and after the stimulation was 8.26% ± 0.19% and 9.89% ± 0.54%, respectively (P < 0.0001. Among patients group, these quantities were 7.97% ± 1.05% and 8.49% ± 1.5%, respectively (P < 0.004. The difference between all the measures in cases and controls were statistically significant (P < 0.0001. There were no differences in age and sex between two groups. The brain SPECT is an objective technique suitable for evaluating anosmia following the head trauma and it may be used with other diagnostic modalities

Risk factors for postoperative delirium in patients undergoing major head and neck cancer surgery: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yun; Wang, Gangpu; Liu, Shengwen; Zhou, Shanghui; Lian, Ying; Zhang, Chenping; Yang, Wenjun

2017-06-01

Postoperative delirium is common after extensive surgery. This study aimed to collate and synthesize published literature on risk factors for delirium in patients with head and neck cancer surgery. Three databases were searched (MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library) between January 1987 and July 2016. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) was adopted to evaluate the study quality. Pooled odds ratios or mean differences for individual risk factors were estimated using the Mantel-Haenszel and inverse-variance methods. They provided a total of 1940 patients (286 with delirium and 1654 without), and predominantly included patients undergoing head and neck cancer surgery. The incidence of postoperative delirium ranged from 11.50% to 36.11%. Ten statistically significant risk factors were identified in pooled analysis. Old age, age >70 years, male sex, duration of surgery, history of hypertension, blood transfusions, tracheotomy, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status grade at least III, flap reconstruction and neck dissection were more likely to sustain delirium after head and neck cancer surgery. Delirium is common in patients undergoing major head neck cancer surgery. Several risk factors were consistently associated with postoperative delirium. These factors help to highlight patients at risk of developing delirium and are suitable for preventive action. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Human papilloma virus: a new risk factor in a subset of head and neck cancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bisht, Manisha; Bist, Sampan Singh

2011-01-01

Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide. Tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption are two well known behavioral risk factors associated with head and neck cancer. Recently, evidence is mounting that infection with human papilloma virus, most commonly human papilloma virus-16 is responsible for a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma especially tumors of tonsillar origin. The molecular pathway used by human papilloma virus to trigger malignant transformation of tissue is different from that of other well known risk factors, i.e. smoking and alcohol, associated with squamous cell carcinoma. Apparently, these subsets of patients with human papilloma virus positive tumor are more likely to have a better prognosis than human papilloma virus negative tumor. Considering this fact, the human papilloma virus infection should be determined in all oropharyngeal cancers since it can have a major impact on the decision making process of the treatment.

A background of risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffiths, R.F.

1981-01-01

The subject is reviewed under the headings: introduction (historical and general description of harm, hazards and risk and attempts to define them); expressions of risk (individual risk; fatal accident frequency rate; expressions of risk in terms of deaths suffered per unit of activity; loss of life expectancy; frequency vs consequence lines); comparability of risks. The examples include some references to radiation hazards and reactor accidents. (U.K.)

Mobile phones and head tumours. The discrepancies in cause-effect relationships in the epidemiological studies - how do they arise?

Science.gov (United States)

Levis, Angelo G; Minicuci, Nadia; Ricci, Paolo; Gennaro, Valerio; Garbisa, Spiridione

2011-06-17

Whether or not there is a relationship between use of mobile phones (analogue and digital cellulars, and cordless) and head tumour risk (brain tumours, acoustic neuromas, and salivary gland tumours) is still a matter of debate; progress requires a critical analysis of the methodological elements necessary for an impartial evaluation of contradictory studies. A close examination of the protocols and results from all case-control and cohort studies, pooled- and meta-analyses on head tumour risk for mobile phone users was carried out, and for each study the elements necessary for evaluating its reliability were identified. In addition, new meta-analyses of the literature data were undertaken. These were limited to subjects with mobile phone latency time compatible with the progression of the examined tumours, and with analysis of the laterality of head tumour localisation corresponding to the habitual laterality of mobile phone use. Blind protocols, free from errors, bias, and financial conditioning factors, give positive results that reveal a cause-effect relationship between long-term mobile phone use or latency and statistically significant increase of ipsilateral head tumour risk, with biological plausibility. Non-blind protocols, which instead are affected by errors, bias, and financial conditioning factors, give negative results with systematic underestimate of such risk. However, also in these studies a statistically significant increase in risk of ipsilateral head tumours is quite common after more than 10 years of mobile phone use or latency. The meta-analyses, our included, examining only data on ipsilateral tumours in subjects using mobile phones since or for at least 10 years, show large and statistically significant increases in risk of ipsilateral brain gliomas and acoustic neuromas. Our analysis of the literature studies and of the results from meta-analyses of the significant data alone shows an almost doubling of the risk of head tumours induced by

Episodic vertigo resulting from vascular risk factors, cervical spondylosis and head rotation: Two case reports

OpenAIRE

Owolabi, Mayowa O; Ogah, Okechukwu S; Ogunniyi, Adesola

2007-01-01

Background Vascular risk factors predispose to vertebrobasilar ischemia. Cervical osteophytes can impinge on the vertebral artery causing mechanical occlusion during head turning. Presentation with vertigo in such instances is a common finding. Case presentation A patient with obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, cervical spondylosis, and vertigo triggered by head rotation is presented. She responded to antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs, vestibular sedative and application of cervic...

Methods of risk assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, D.R.

1981-01-01

The subject is discussed under the headings: introduction (identification, quantification of risk); some approaches to risk evaluation (use of the 'no risk' principle; the 'acceptable risk' method; risk balancing; comparison of risks, benefits and other costs); cost benefit analysis; an alternative approach (tabulation and display; description and reduction of the data table); identification of potential decision sets consistent with the constraints. Some references are made to nuclear power. (U.K.)

Radiation-related small head sizes among prenatally exposed atomic bomb survivors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otaki, Masanori; Schull, William J.

2004-01-01

The population prenatally exposed to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, referred to as the In Utero Clinical Sample, on whom Dosimetry System 1986 doses are available consists of 1566 individuals (1242 in Hiroshima and 324 in Nagasaki). Of these study subjects, 1473 had the circumference of their heads measured at least once between ages 9 to 19. Among these 1473 individuals, 62 had small heads - the circumference of the head was two standard deviations or more below the observed specific age-at-measurement mean. Twenty-six of the 30 cases with severe mental retardation described elsewhere are included among these subjects. Of these 26 severely mentally retarded cases, 15 (58%) had small heads. Most (86%) of the individuals with small heads were exposed in the first or second trimester of pregnancy - 55% in the former period and 31% in the latter. Various dose-response relationships, with and without a threshold, have been fitted to the data grouped by the trimester or postovulatory age (weeks after ovulation) at which exposure occurred. A significant effect of radiation on the frequency of individuals with atypically small heads is observed only in the first and second trimesters and for the intervals postovulation of 0-7 weeks and 8-15 weeks. Although the risk of a small head at 0-7 weeks postovulation increases significantly with increasing dose, no increase in risk for severe mental retardation is noted in this period. No excess risk of a small head was seen in the third trimester or among individuals exposed at ≥ 16 weeks postovulation. The estimated threshold, based either on a linear or a linear-quadratic dose-response relationship, is zero or thereabouts. This apparent absence of a threshold and the somewhat different periods of vulnerability suggest an embryological difference in the development of both a small head and mental retardation. Mean IQ (using the Koga test) and its standard deviation are 63.8 and 8.5, respectively, for the

Scheduling of a hydro producer considering head-dependency, price scenarios and risk-aversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pousinho, H.M.I.; Mendes, V.M.F.; Catalão, J.P.S.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A MIQP approach is proposed for the short-term hydro scheduling problem. ► Head-dependency, discontinuous operating regions and discharge ramping constraints are considered. ► As new contribution to earlier studies, market uncertainty is introduced in the model via price scenarios. ► Also, risk aversion is incorporated by limiting the volatility of the expected profit through CVaR. ► A case study based on one of the main Portuguese cascaded hydro systems is provided. - Abstract: In this paper, a mixed-integer quadratic programming approach is proposed for the short-term hydro scheduling problem, considering head-dependency, discontinuous operating regions and discharge ramping constraints. As new contributions to earlier studies, market uncertainty is introduced in the model via price scenarios, and risk aversion is also incorporated by limiting the volatility of the expected profit through the conditional value-at-risk. Our approach has been applied successfully to solve a case study based on one of the main Portuguese cascaded hydro systems, requiring a negligible computational time.

Relative Risk of Various Head and Neck Cancers among Different Blood Groups: An Analytical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Kote, Sunder; Patthi, Basavaraj; Singla, Ashish; Singh, Shilpi; Kundu, Hansa; Jain, Swati

2014-01-01

Background: Cancer is a unique disease characterized by abnormal growth of cells which have the ability to invade the adjacent tissues and sometimes even distant organs. The limited and contrasting evidence regarding the association of ABO blood groups with the different types of head and neck cancers in the Indian population warrants the need for the present study. Aim and Objective: To assess the relative risk of various Head & Neck cancers among different blood groups. Materials and Method: Three hundred sixty two diagnosed cases of different type of head and neck cancers and 400 controls were selected from four hospitals of New Delhi, India. The information regarding the type of head and neck cancer was obtained from the case sheets of the patients regarding their socio demographic profile, dietary history using a structured performa. The information regarding type of cancer (cases only), ABO blood group was collected. Statistical Tests: The data was analysed using the SPSS 19 version. Chi square test and odd ratios were calculated. The level of significance was fixed at 5%. Results: The O blood group was found to be most prevalent followed by B, A and AB among the cases as well as the controls. Oral cancer patients showed maximum number in blood group O followed by B, A and AB. Significant pattern of distribution was seen among the patients of esophageal cancer, laryngeal cancer and salivary gland cancer as well (p= 0.003, p=0.000 p=0.112 respectively. Conclusion: The present study reveals that there is an inherited element in the susceptibility or protection against different types of head and neck cancers. Blood group A was found to be a potential risk factor for the development of oral cancers, esophageal cancers and salivary gland cancers while blood group B was found to be a potential risk factor for laryngeal cancers. PMID:24959511

Relative Risk of Various Head and Neck Cancers among Different Blood Groups: An Analytical Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Khushboo; Kote, Sunder; Patthi, Basavaraj; Singla, Ashish; Singh, Shilpi; Kundu, Hansa; Jain, Swati

2014-04-01

Cancer is a unique disease characterized by abnormal growth of cells which have the ability to invade the adjacent tissues and sometimes even distant organs. The limited and contrasting evidence regarding the association of ABO blood groups with the different types of head and neck cancers in the Indian population warrants the need for the present study. To assess the relative risk of various Head & Neck cancers among different blood groups. Three hundred sixty two diagnosed cases of different type of head and neck cancers and 400 controls were selected from four hospitals of New Delhi, India. The information regarding the type of head and neck cancer was obtained from the case sheets of the patients regarding their socio demographic profile, dietary history using a structured performa. The information regarding type of cancer (cases only), ABO blood group was collected. Statistical Tests: The data was analysed using the SPSS 19 version. Chi square test and odd ratios were calculated. The level of significance was fixed at 5%. The O blood group was found to be most prevalent followed by B, A and AB among the cases as well as the controls. Oral cancer patients showed maximum number in blood group O followed by B, A and AB. Significant pattern of distribution was seen among the patients of esophageal cancer, laryngeal cancer and salivary gland cancer as well (p= 0.003, p=0.000 p=0.112 respectively. The present study reveals that there is an inherited element in the susceptibility or protection against different types of head and neck cancers. Blood group A was found to be a potential risk factor for the development of oral cancers, esophageal cancers and salivary gland cancers while blood group B was found to be a potential risk factor for laryngeal cancers.

Effects of Soccer Heading on Brain Structure and Function

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Ana Carolina; Lasmar, Rodrigo Pace; Caramelli, Paulo

2016-01-01

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with more than 265 million players worldwide, including professional and amateur ones. Soccer is unique in comparison to other sports, as it is the only sport in which participants purposely use their head to hit the ball. Heading is considered as an offensive or defensive move whereby the player’s unprotected head is used to deliberately impact the ball and direct it during play. A soccer player can be subjected to an average of 6–12 incidents of heading the ball per competitive game, where the ball reaches high velocities. Moreover, in practice sessions, heading training, which involves heading the ball repeatedly at low velocities, is common. Although the scientific community, as well as the media, has focused on the effects of concussions in contact sports, the role of subconcussive impacts, as it can occur during heading, has recently gained attention, considering that it may represent an additional mechanism of cumulative brain injury. The purpose of this study is to review the existing literature regarding the effects of soccer heading on brain structure and function. Only in the last years, some investigations have addressed the impact of heading on brain structure, by using neuroimaging techniques. Similarly, there have been some recent studies investigating biochemical markers of brain injury in soccer players. There is evidence of association between heading and abnormal brain structure, but the data are still preliminary. Also, some studies have suggested that subconcussive head impacts, as heading, could cause cognitive impairment, whereas others have not corroborated this finding. Questions persist as to whether or not heading is deleterious to cognitive functioning. Further studies, especially with longitudinal designs, are needed to clarify the clinical significance of heading as a cause of brain injury and to identify risk factors. Such investigations might contribute to the establishment of safety

Effects of soccer heading on brain structure and function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Carolina Oliveira Rodrigues

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with more than 265 million players worldwide, including professional and amateur ones. Soccer is unique in comparison to other sports, as it is the only sport in which participants purposely use their head to hit the ball. Heading is considered an offensive or defensive move whereby the player’s unprotected head is used to deliberately impact the ball and direct it during play. A soccer player can be subjected to an average of six to twelve incidents of heading the ball per competitive game, where the ball reaches high velocities. Moreover, in practice sessions, heading training, which involves heading the ball repeatedly at low velocities, is common. Although the scientific community, as well as the media, has focused on the effects of concussions in contact sports, the role of subconcussive impacts, as it can occur during heading, has recently gained attention, considering that it may represent an additional mechanism of cumulative brain injury. The purpose of this study is to review the existing literature regarding the effects of soccer heading on brain structure and function. Only in the last years some investigations have addressed the impact of heading on brain structure, by using neuroimaging techniques. Similarly, there have been some recent studies investigating biochemical markers of brain injury in soccer players. There is evidence of association between heading and abnormal brain structure, but the data are still preliminary. Also, some studies have suggested that subconcussive head impacts, as heading, could cause cognitive impairment, whereas others have not corroborated this finding. Questions persist as to whether or not heading is deleterious to cognitive functioning. Further studies, especially with longitudinal designs, are needed to clarify the clinical significance of heading as a cause of brain injury and to identify risk factors. Such investigations might contribute to the

Incidence and risk factors of hypomagnesemia in head and neck cancer patients treated with cetuximab

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Tomohiro Enokida

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background Hypomagnesemia is a common adverse event during cetuximab (Cmab treatment. However, few reports have investigated the incidence and risk factors of hypomagnesemia in head and neck cancer patients treated with Cmab. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 131 head and neck cancer patients who received Cmab-containing therapy. Main eligibility criteria were ≥3 Cmab administrations, no prior EGFR-directed therapy, and no prophylactic Mg supplementation.Results Median baseline serum Mg level and number of Cmab administrations were 2.2 mg/dl and eight, respectively. Overall incidence of hypomagnesemia was 50.4% (grade 1, 46.6%; grade 2, 3.1%; grade 3, 0%; grade 4, 0.8% and differed between patients treated with palliative chemotherapy and bioradiation (Cmab and radiation (63% vs. 24%; p<0.01. Independent risk factors were low baseline serum Mg [Odds ratio (OR 161.988, 95% confidence interval (CI 9.436-2780.895], ≥7 Cmab administrations (OR 3.56, 95% CI 1.16-13.98, and concurrent administration of platinum (cisplatin; OR 23.695, 95% CI 5.219-107.574, carboplatin; OR 5.487, 95% CI 1.831-16.439. Respective incidence of hypomagnesemia in patients in high- (concurrent platinum and ≥7 Cmab administrations and low-risk (no concurrent platinum and <7 Cmab administrations groups was 66.0% and 6.6% (P<0.001, OR 28.0. Conclusion Cmab is associated with a significant risk of hypomagnesemia in patients with head and neck cancer with longer term administration and concurrent platinum therapy. High-risk patients should be treated with particular care.

Subjective versus objective risk in genetic counseling for hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancers

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Sperduti Isabella

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the fact that genetic counseling in oncology provides information regarding objective risks, it can be found a contrast between the subjective and objective risk. The aims of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of the perceived risk compared to the objective risk estimated by the BRCApro computer model and to evaluate any associations between medical, demographic and psychological variables and the accuracy of risk perception. Methods 130 subjects were given medical-demographic file, Cancer and Genetic Risk Perception, Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale. It was also computed an objective evaluation of the risk by the BRCApro model. Results The subjective risk was significantly higher than objective risk. The risk of tumour was overestimated by 56%, and the genetic risk by 67%. The subjects with less cancer affected relatives significantly overestimated their risk of being mutation carriers and made a more innacurate estimation than high risk subjects. Conclusion The description of this sample shows: general overestimation of the risk, inaccurate perception compared to BRCApro calculation and a more accurate estimation in those subjects with more cancer affected relatives (high risk subjects. No correlation was found between the levels of perception of risk and anxiety and depression. Based on our findings, it is worth pursuing improved communication strategies about the actual cancer and genetic risk, especially for subjects at "intermediate and slightly increased risk" of developing an hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer or of being mutation carrier.

Individual survival curves comparing subjective and observed mortality risks.

Science.gov (United States)

Bissonnette, Luc; Hurd, Michael D; Michaud, Pierre-Carl

2017-12-01

We compare individual survival curves constructed from objective (actual mortality) and elicited subjective information (probability of survival to a given target age). We develop a methodology to estimate jointly subjective and objective individual survival curves accounting for rounding on subjective reports of perceived survival. We make use of the long follow-up period in the Health and Retirement Study and the high quality of mortality data to estimate individual survival curves that feature both observed and unobserved heterogeneity. This allows us to compare objective and subjective estimates of remaining life expectancy for various groups and compare welfare effects of objective and subjective mortality risk using the life cycle model of consumption. We find that subjective and objective hazards are not the same. The median welfare loss from misperceptions of mortality risk when annuities are not available is 7% of current wealth at age 65 whereas more than 25% of respondents have losses larger than 60% of wealth. When annuities are available and exogenously given, the welfare loss is substantially lower. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Channel heads in mountain catchments subject to human impact - The Skrzyczne range in Southern Poland

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Wrońska-Wałach, Dominika; Żelazny, Mirosław; Małek, Stanisław; Krakowian, Katarzyna; Dąbek, Natalia

2018-05-01

Channel heads in mountain catchments are increasingly influenced by human activity. The disturbance of mountain headwater areas in moderate latitudes by the clearing of trees and the associated logging, road building and hydrotechnical constructions contribute to changes in the water cycle and consequently may induce a change in channel head development. Here we examine channel heads in the Beskid Śląski Mts., one of the areas most affected by ecological disaster in the Polish Flysch Carpathians. An ecological disaster associated with the decline of spruce trees in the 1980s and 1990s caused a substantial decrease (of about 50%) in the land area occupied by spruce forest in the Beskid Śląski Mts. As a result, headwater areas were subject to multidirectional changes in the environment. The purpose of this paper is to determine the detailed characteristics of channel heads currently developing in the analyzed headwater areas, as well as to identify independent factors that affect the evolution of channel heads. Geomorphological mapping was conducted in 2012 in the vicinity of springs in the study area. One-way ANOVA was used to determine the significance of differences between mean values calculated for groups identified based on: i) geomorphologic processes (hollows with rock veneer - h, spring niches - sn, gullies - g), ii) location vs. transformation of channel heads (forested areas vs., deforested areas with road constructions). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine the structure and general patterns associated with relationships between the parameters of a channel head and its contribution area, as well as to identify and interpret new (orthogonal) spaces defined using distinct factors. As far as we know, this kind of approach has been never applied before. A total of 80 channel heads surrounding 104 springs were surveyed close to the main ridge in the study area. A total of 14 morphometric parameters were taken into account in this study

Head Injury as a Risk Factor for Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 32 Observational Studies.

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Yanjun Li

Full Text Available Head injury is reported to be associated with increased risks of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD in many but not all the epidemiological studies. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the relative effect of head injury on dementia and AD risks.Relevant cohort and case-control studies published between Jan 1, 1990, and Mar 31, 2015 were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. We used the random-effect model in this meta-analysis to take into account heterogeneity among studies.Data from 32 studies, representing 2,013,197 individuals, 13,866 dementia events and 8,166 AD events, were included in the analysis. Overall, the pooled relative risk (RR estimates showed that head injury significantly increased the risks of any dementia (RR = 1.63, 95% CI 1.34-1.99 and AD (RR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.26-1.80, with no evidence of publication bias. However, when considering the status of unconsciousness, head injury with loss of consciousness did not show significant association with dementia (RR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.67-1.27 and AD (RR = 1.49, 95% CI 0.91-2.43. Additionally, this positive association did not reach statistical significance in female participants.The findings from this meta-analysis indicate that head injury is associated with increased risks of dementia and AD.

Phase II feasibility trial of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy with 3-weekly cisplatin for Japanese patients with post-operative high-risk squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiyota, Naomi; Tahara, Makoto; Okano, Susumu

2012-01-01

The current standard of care for post-operative high-risk squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is concurrent chemoradiotherapy with a 3-weekly cycle of cisplatin (3W-CDDP/RT). In previous pivotal trials, the complete delivery rate of three cycles of cisplatin and radiation therapy was only -60%. Here, we evaluated the feasibility and safety of 3W-CDDP/RT in a Japanese population. The study enrolled post-operative high-risk squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck patients. High-risk factors were a microscopically incomplete resection, extracapsular extension and two or more lymph node metastases. Subjects received three cycles of cisplatin at a dose of 100 mg/m 2 concomitant with radiation therapy (66 Gy/33 Fr). From August 2006 to May 2009, 25 eligible subjects were accrued, including 13 males, with a median age of 59 years, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0/1 (18/7), Stage III/IVA/IVB/recurrent (1/18/1/5) and oral cavity/oropharynx/hypopharynx/larynx (17/4/3/1). Protocol completion rate was 80%. The lower limit of the one-sided 90% confidence interval was 66%, which met the predefined statistical criteria. Grade 3/4 acute and late toxicities were almost identical to those in previous pivotal trials. No treatment-related deaths were observed. With a median follow-up of 39 months, 14 have had progression and 10 have died. Estimated 3-year locoregional control rate, relapse-free survival and overall survival were 74, 43 and 60%, respectively. On univariate analysis, oral cavity cancer and a cumulative cisplatin dose below 240 mg/m 2 appeared to be poor prognostic factors. This is the first Phase II feasibility trial of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy with 3-weekly cisplatin for post-operative high-risk squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in a Japanese population. This treatment was feasible and the safety profile was identical to those in pivotal Phase III trials. (author)

Measures to suppress ignition risk on full-face heading machines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seeliger, A; Marx, W -E; Radtke, H

1987-12-01

Within the Research Development project 'Measures to suppress ignition risk on full-facers' the Institute of Mechanical Engineering of the Westfaelische Berggewerkskasse (WBK) has formulated concepts to reduce the ignition danger caused by the cutting action of full-face heading machines. Since the cooling of the rock surface in the immediate vicinity of the roller bits represents an effective preventive measure against ignition of firedamp, the machine manufacturers recommend the installation of a nozzle close to each disc holder whose water jet hits the point immediately behind and on the roller bit itself. The shape of nozzles to be employed should be such that they generate a water jet whose fan is capable of creating air velocities of about 10 m/s along the cutting track of the roller bits. This will achieve an additional degree of safety from ignition of any firedamp that may be present, because the duration of a juxtaposition between a possible hot surface and firedamp for energy exchange is reduced. The water could be fed to the individual nozzles at a pressure of 60 to 80 bar through a rotary distributor in the borer head. Following an analysis of the most frequent ignition causes a rotation and temperature monitoring system was developed for the roller bits of a borer head. 5 figs.

Impact of head models in N170 component source imaging: results in control subjects and ADHD patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beltrachini, L; Blenkmann, A; Ellenrieder, N von; Muravchik, C H; Petroni, A; Urquina, H; Manes, F; Ibáñez, A

2011-01-01

The major goal of evoked related potential studies arise in source localization techniques to identify the loci of neural activity that give rise to a particular voltage distribution measured on the surface of the scalp. In this paper we evaluate the effect of the head model adopted in order to estimate the N170 component source in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients and control subjects, considering faces and words stimuli. The standardized low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography algorithm (sLORETA) is used to compare between the three shell spherical head model and a fully realistic model based on the ICBM-152 atlas. We compare their variance on source estimation and analyze the impact on the N170 source localization. Results show that the often used three shell spherical model may lead to erroneous solutions, specially on ADHD patients, so its use is not recommended. Our results also suggest that N170 sources are mainly located in the right occipital fusiform gyrus for faces stimuli and in the left occipital fusiform gyrus for words stimuli, for both control subjects and ADHD patients. We also found a notable decrease on the N170 estimated source amplitude on ADHD patients, resulting in a plausible marker of the disease.

Impact of head models in N170 component source imaging: results in control subjects and ADHD patients

Science.gov (United States)

Beltrachini, L.; Blenkmann, A.; von Ellenrieder, N.; Petroni, A.; Urquina, H.; Manes, F.; Ibáñez, A.; Muravchik, C. H.

2011-12-01

The major goal of evoked related potential studies arise in source localization techniques to identify the loci of neural activity that give rise to a particular voltage distribution measured on the surface of the scalp. In this paper we evaluate the effect of the head model adopted in order to estimate the N170 component source in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients and control subjects, considering faces and words stimuli. The standardized low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography algorithm (sLORETA) is used to compare between the three shell spherical head model and a fully realistic model based on the ICBM-152 atlas. We compare their variance on source estimation and analyze the impact on the N170 source localization. Results show that the often used three shell spherical model may lead to erroneous solutions, specially on ADHD patients, so its use is not recommended. Our results also suggest that N170 sources are mainly located in the right occipital fusiform gyrus for faces stimuli and in the left occipital fusiform gyrus for words stimuli, for both control subjects and ADHD patients. We also found a notable decrease on the N170 estimated source amplitude on ADHD patients, resulting in a plausible marker of the disease.

Impact of head models in N170 component source imaging: results in control subjects and ADHD patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beltrachini, L; Blenkmann, A; Ellenrieder, N von; Muravchik, C H [Laboratory of Industrial Electronics, Control and Instrumentation (LEICI), National University of La Plata (Argentina); Petroni, A [Integrative Neuroscience Laboratory, Physics Department, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Urquina, H; Manes, F; Ibanez, A [Institute of Cognitive Neurology (INECO) and Institute of Neuroscience, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2011-12-23

The major goal of evoked related potential studies arise in source localization techniques to identify the loci of neural activity that give rise to a particular voltage distribution measured on the surface of the scalp. In this paper we evaluate the effect of the head model adopted in order to estimate the N170 component source in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients and control subjects, considering faces and words stimuli. The standardized low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography algorithm (sLORETA) is used to compare between the three shell spherical head model and a fully realistic model based on the ICBM-152 atlas. We compare their variance on source estimation and analyze the impact on the N170 source localization. Results show that the often used three shell spherical model may lead to erroneous solutions, specially on ADHD patients, so its use is not recommended. Our results also suggest that N170 sources are mainly located in the right occipital fusiform gyrus for faces stimuli and in the left occipital fusiform gyrus for words stimuli, for both control subjects and ADHD patients. We also found a notable decrease on the N170 estimated source amplitude on ADHD patients, resulting in a plausible marker of the disease.

Mobile phones and head tumours. The discrepancies in cause-effect relationships in the epidemiological studies - how do they arise?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gennaro Valerio

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Whether or not there is a relationship between use of mobile phones (analogue and digital cellulars, and cordless and head tumour risk (brain tumours, acoustic neuromas, and salivary gland tumours is still a matter of debate; progress requires a critical analysis of the methodological elements necessary for an impartial evaluation of contradictory studies. Methods A close examination of the protocols and results from all case-control and cohort studies, pooled- and meta-analyses on head tumour risk for mobile phone users was carried out, and for each study the elements necessary for evaluating its reliability were identified. In addition, new meta-analyses of the literature data were undertaken. These were limited to subjects with mobile phone latency time compatible with the progression of the examined tumours, and with analysis of the laterality of head tumour localisation corresponding to the habitual laterality of mobile phone use. Results Blind protocols, free from errors, bias, and financial conditioning factors, give positive results that reveal a cause-effect relationship between long-term mobile phone use or latency and statistically significant increase of ipsilateral head tumour risk, with biological plausibility. Non-blind protocols, which instead are affected by errors, bias, and financial conditioning factors, give negative results with systematic underestimate of such risk. However, also in these studies a statistically significant increase in risk of ipsilateral head tumours is quite common after more than 10 years of mobile phone use or latency. The meta-analyses, our included, examining only data on ipsilateral tumours in subjects using mobile phones since or for at least 10 years, show large and statistically significant increases in risk of ipsilateral brain gliomas and acoustic neuromas. Conclusions Our analysis of the literature studies and of the results from meta-analyses of the significant data alone

Porcine head response to blast.

Science.gov (United States)

Shridharani, Jay K; Wood, Garrett W; Panzer, Matthew B; Capehart, Bruce P; Nyein, Michelle K; Radovitzky, Raul A; Bass, Cameron R 'dale'

2012-01-01

Recent studies have shown an increase in the frequency of traumatic brain injuries related to blast exposure. However, the mechanisms that cause blast neurotrauma are unknown. Blast neurotrauma research using computational models has been one method to elucidate that response of the brain in blast, and to identify possible mechanical correlates of injury. However, model validation against experimental data is required to ensure that the model output is representative of in vivo biomechanical response. This study exposes porcine subjects to primary blast overpressures generated using a compressed-gas shock tube. Shock tube blasts were directed to the unprotected head of each animal while the lungs and thorax were protected using ballistic protective vests similar to those employed in theater. The test conditions ranged from 110 to 740 kPa peak incident overpressure with scaled durations from 1.3 to 6.9 ms and correspond approximately with a 50% injury risk for brain bleeding and apnea in a ferret model scaled to porcine exposure. Instrumentation was placed on the porcine head to measure bulk acceleration, pressure at the surface of the head, and pressure inside the cranial cavity. Immediately after the blast, 5 of the 20 animals tested were apneic. Three subjects recovered without intervention within 30 s and the remaining two recovered within 8 min following respiratory assistance and administration of the respiratory stimulant doxapram. Gross examination of the brain revealed no indication of bleeding. Intracranial pressures ranged from 80 to 390 kPa as a result of the blast and were notably lower than the shock tube reflected pressures of 300-2830 kPa, indicating pressure attenuation by the skull up to a factor of 8.4. Peak head accelerations were measured from 385 to 3845 G's and were well correlated with peak incident overpressure (R(2) = 0.90). One SD corridors for the surface pressure, intracranial pressure (ICP), and head acceleration are

Hippocampal volume changes in healthy subjects at risk of unipolar depression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baaré, William F C; Vinberg, Maj; Knudsen, Gitte M

2010-01-01

Unipolar depression is moderately heritable. It is unclear whether structural brain changes associated with unipolar depression are present in healthy persons at risk of the disorder. Here we investigated whether a genetic predisposition to unipolar depression is associated with structural brain...... changes. A priori, hippocampal volume reductions were hypothesized. Using a high-risk study design, magnetic resonance imaging brain scans were obtained from 59 healthy high-risk subjects having a co-twin with unipolar depression, and 53 healthy low-risk subjects without a first-degree family history...

Subjective risk assessment for planning conservation projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Game, Edward T; Fitzsimons, James A; Lipsett-Moore, Geoff; McDonald-Madden, Eve

2013-01-01

Conservation projects occur under many types of uncertainty. Where this uncertainty can affect achievement of a project’s objectives, there is risk. Understanding risks to project success should influence a range of strategic and tactical decisions in conservation, and yet, formal risk assessment rarely features in the guidance or practice of conservation planning. We describe how subjective risk analysis tools can be framed to facilitate the rapid identification and assessment of risks to conservation projects, and how this information should influence conservation planning. Our approach is illustrated with an assessment of risks to conservation success as part of a conservation plan for the work of The Nature Conservancy in northern Australia. Risks can be both internal and external to a project, and occur across environmental, social, economic and political systems. Based on the relative importance of a risk and the level of certainty in its assessment we propose a series of appropriate, project level responses including research, monitoring, and active amelioration. Explicit identification, prioritization, and where possible, management of risks are important elements of using conservation resources in an informed and accountable manner. (letter)

Incidence and Risk Factors of Refeeding Syndrome in Head and Neck Cancer Patients-An Observational Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmussen, Stine Ostenfeldt; Kristensen, Marianne Boll; Wessel, Irene; Andersen, Jens Rikardt

2016-01-01

This study aimed to determine the incidence rates of refeeding phenomena (defined as a decline in p-phosphate) and refeeding syndrome (RFS; defined as development of clinical symptoms in addition to a decline in p-phosphate) in head and neck cancer patients, and to identify risk factors. Fifty-four head and neck cancer patients referred for surgery were included. Forty-six potential risk factors were registered at the baseline, and p-phosphate was measured at Days 2, 4, and 7. Eleven patients (20%) developed RFS, and twenty-eight (52%) developed refeeding phenomena. At baseline, these patients presented a higher prevalence of head and neck pain, eating difficulties, higher p-phosphate levels, lower p-transferrin levels, and, in men, lower b-hemoglobin levels. Patients who developed symptoms had a decline in p-phosphate ≥0.22 mmol/l. At baseline, these patients had higher p-phosphate levels, higher alcohol consumption, and lower p-transferrin and p-sodium levels, as well as a higher prevalence of eating difficulties, low handgrip strength (HGS), and a history of radiation therapy. The risk factors most strongly associated with the development of refeeding phenomena and RFS were pain, eating difficulties, low HGS, high alcohol intake, and previous radiation therapy.

Self-motion perception and vestibulo-ocular reflex during whole body yaw rotation in standing subjects: the role of head position and neck proprioception.

Science.gov (United States)

Panichi, Roberto; Botti, Fabio Massimo; Ferraresi, Aldo; Faralli, Mario; Kyriakareli, Artemis; Schieppati, Marco; Pettorossi, Vito Enrico

2011-04-01

Self-motion perception and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) were studied during whole body yaw rotation in the dark at different static head positions. Rotations consisted of four cycles of symmetric sinusoidal and asymmetric oscillations. Self-motion perception was evaluated by measuring the ability of subjects to manually track a static remembered target. VOR was recorded separately and the slow phase eye position (SPEP) was computed. Three different head static yaw deviations (active and passive) relative to the trunk (0°, 45° to right and 45° to left) were examined. Active head deviations had a significant effect during asymmetric oscillation: the movement perception was enhanced when the head was kept turned toward the side of body rotation and decreased in the opposite direction. Conversely, passive head deviations had no effect on movement perception. Further, vibration (100 Hz) of the neck muscles splenius capitis and sternocleidomastoideus remarkably influenced perceived rotation during asymmetric oscillation. On the other hand, SPEP of VOR was modulated by active head deviation, but was not influenced by neck muscle vibration. Through its effects on motion perception and reflex gain, head position improved gaze stability and enhanced self-motion perception in the direction of the head deviation. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oral mucositis in head and neck cancer: risk, biology, and management.

Science.gov (United States)

Sonis, Stephen T

2013-01-01

Of the toxicities associated with conventional forms of treatment for head and neck cancers, probably none has such a consistent legacy as oral mucositis.1 Despite the fact that mucosal injury was noted as far back as Marie Curie's first forays into therapeutic radiation, an effective intervention has yet to be developed. In addition to its historic link to radiation, new therapeutic strategies including induction chemotherapy often produce mucositis, and targeted therapies appear to alter mucositis risk and its severity and course.2 The symptomatic effect of oral mucositis is profound. Disabling oral and oropharyngeal pain prevents patients from eating normally, requires opiate analgesics, and in some cases results in alteration or discontinuation of anticancer therapy.3 Furthermore, the health and economic consequences of oral mucositis are far from trivial. The incremental cost of oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer exceeds $17,000 (USD).4.

Unilateral otolith centrifugation by head tilt.

Science.gov (United States)

Winters, Stephanie M; Bos, Jelte E; Klis, Sjaak F L

2014-01-01

To test for otolith asymmetries, several studies described horizontal translation of the body and head en bloc during fast vertical axis rotation. This stimulus causes one otolithic organ to rotate on-axis, and the other to experience centripetal acceleration. To test a new, more simple method of unilateral stimulation with head tilt and the body remaining on axis. During stationary and during 360 deg/s rotation, 12 healthy blindfolded subjects had their heads tilted 30 degrees sideways, positioning one otolithic organ on the axis of rotation after the other. The haptic subjective vertical (SV) was recorded several times by means of a manually adjustable rod. It was found that during stationary the SV tilted about 4 degrees on average in the direction of the head. During rotation, the SV tilted about 9 degrees on average. We therefore estimate the effect of eccentric otolith rotation to be 5 degrees on average. Tilt of the subjective vertical induced by head tilt during on-axis body rotation can provide a relatively uncomplicated alternative to test unilateral otolithic function as compared to body and head translation during rotation. Moreover, unlike eccentric rotation of the entire body, somatosensory cues are minimized by keeping the body fixed on axis and by subtracting the effect of head tilt per se.

Dopamine in high-risk populations: A comparison of subjects with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and subjects at ultra high-risk for psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Vingerhoets, Claudia; Bloemen, Oswald J N; Boot, Erik; Bakker, Geor; de Koning, Mariken B; da Silva Alves, Fabiana; Booij, Jan; van Amelsvoort, Thérèse A M J

2018-02-28

Striatal dopamine (DA) dysfunction has been consistently reported in psychotic disorders. Differences and similarities in the pathogenesis between populations at clinical and genetic risk for developing psychosis are yet to be established. Here we explored markers of dopamine (DA) function in subjects meeting clinically ultra-high risk criteria for psychosis (UHR) and in subjects with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), a genetic condition associated with significant risk for developing psychotic disorders. Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) with 123 I-labelled iodobenzamide ([ 123 I]IBZM) was used to measure striatal DA D 2/3 receptor binding potential (D 2 R BP ND ). Also, peripheral DAergic markers were assessed in serum and urine (plasma prolactin (pPRL), plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) and urine DA(uDA)). No significant difference in striatal D 2 R BP ND was found between UHR and 22q11DS subjects. Compared to UHR subjects, pPRL and pHVA were lower and uDA levels were higher in the 22q11DS subjects. However, after correcting for age and gender, only pPRL as significantly lower in the 22q11DS patients. These results may suggest that there are differences in DAergic markers between subjects with UHR and with 22q11DS that may reflect differences in the pathways to psychosis. However, bigger samples are needed to replicate these findings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of subject description of fiction with annotations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alenka Šauperl

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In Slovenia, subject description of fiction was traditionally limited to the Universal Decimal Classification number, which was mainly assigned for shelving. Readers found their books by browsing the library shelves, while librarians had to rely on their personal familiarity with the library collection if they wanted to advise readers on the selection of books. Subject description, such as is often associated with non-literary works, would require a lot of time. Therefore, we wanted to know whether reading book reviews in newspapers could replace reading the entire literary work. We analysed a small sample of book reviews written by literary critics and published in Slovenian newspapers and compared them to the reviews, written by librarians for the same literary works (in the »Priporočamo!« project. We realized that the content is different. However, they could be used for identification of additional subject headings. The same findings resulted from a similar analysis of literary works written for children. Concepts, that seemed potentially appropriate subject headings, often actually do not appear in the Slovenian subject headings or subject headings from the Pionirska knjižnica of Ljubljana. Both subject heading lists should include a larger number of abstract concepts, which more often appear in literary than in non-literary works. Both subject heading lists should also be coordinated.

Added value of integrated circuit detector in head CT: objective and subjective image quality in comparison to conventional detector design.

Science.gov (United States)

Korn, Andreas; Bender, Benjamin; Spira, Daniel; Schabel, Christoph; Bhadelia, Rafeeque; Claussen, Claus; Ernemann, Ulrike; Brodoefel, Harald

2014-12-01

A new computed tomography (CT) detector with integrated electric components and shorter conducting pathways has recently been introduced to decrease system inherent electronic noise. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential benefit of such integrated circuit detector (ICD) in head CT by comparing objective and subjective image quality in low-dose examinations with a conventional detector design. Using a conventional detector, reduced-dose noncontrast head CT (255 mAs; effective dose, 1.7 mSv) was performed in 25 consecutive patients. Following transition to ICD, 25 consecutive patients were scanned using identical imaging parameters. Images in both groups were reconstructed with iterative reconstruction (IR) and filtered back projection (FBP) and assessed in terms of quantitative and qualitative image quality. Acquisition of head CT using ICD increased signal-to-noise ratio of gray and white matter by 14% (10.0 ± 1.6 vs. 11.4 ± 2.5; P = .02) and 17% (8.2 ± 0.8 vs. 9.6 ± 1.5; P = .000). The associated improvement in contrast-to-noise ratio was 12% (2.0 ± 0.5 vs. 2.2 ± 0.6; P = .121). In addition, there was a 51% increase in objective image sharpness (582 ± 85 vs. 884.5 ± 191; change in HU/Pixel; P < .000). Compared to standard acquisitions, subjective grading of noise and overall image quality scores were significantly improved with ICD (2.1 ± 0.3 vs. 1.6 ± 0.3; P < .000; 2.0 ± 0.5 vs. 1.6 ± 0.3; P = .001). Moreover, streak artifacts in the posterior fossa were substantially reduced (2.3 ± 0.7 vs. 1.7 ± 0.5; P = .004). At the same radiation level, acquisition of head CT with ICD achieves superior objective and subjective image quality and provides potential for significant dose reduction. Copyright © 2014 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Knowledge and application of correct car seat head restraint usage among chiropractic college interns: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, John Am; Burke, Jeanmarie; Gavencak, John; Panwar, Pervinder

2005-03-01

Cervical spine injuries sustained in rear-end crashes cost at least $7 billion in insurance claims annually in the United States alone. When positioned correctly, head restraint systems have been proven effective in reducing the risk of whiplash associated disorders. Chiropractors should be knowledgeable about the correct use of head restraint systems to educate their patients and thereby prevent or minimize such injuries. The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of correct positioning of car seat head restraints among the interns at our institution. The secondary objective was to determine the same chiropractic interns' knowledge of the correct positioning of car seat head restraints. It was hypothesized that 100 percent of interns would have their head restraint correctly positioned within an acceptable range and that all interns would possess the knowledge to instruct patients in the correct positioning of head restraints. Cross-sectional study of a convenient sample of 30 chiropractic interns from one institution. Interns driving into the parking lot of our health center were asked to volunteer to have measurements taken and to complete a survey. Vertical and horizontal positions of the head restraint were measured using a beam compass. A survey was administered to determine knowledge of correct head restraint position. The results were recorded, entered into a spreadsheet, and analyzed. 13.3 percent of subjects knew the recommended vertical distance and only 20 percent of subjects knew the recommended horizontal distance. Chi Square analyses substantiated that the majority of subjects were unaware of guidelines set forth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the correct positioning of the head restraint (chi(2) (vertical) = 16.13, chi(2) (horizontal) = 10.80, p .05). Interestingly, the 13.3 percent of the subjects who were aware of the vertical plane recommendations did not correctly position their own

Effect of different head-neck-jaw postures on cervicocephalic kinesthetic sense.

Science.gov (United States)

Zafar, H; Alghadir, A H; Iqbal, Z A

2017-12-01

To investigate the effect of different induced head-neck-jaw postures on head-neck relocation error among healthy subjects. 30 healthy adult male subjects participated in this study. Cervicocephalic kinesthetic sense was measured while standing, habitual sitting, habitual sitting with clenched jaw and habitual sitting with forward head posture during right rotation, left rotation, flexion and extension using kinesthetic sensibility test. Head-neck relocation error was least while standing, followed by habitual sitting, habitual sitting with forward head posture and habitual sitting with jaw clenched. However, there was no significant difference in error between different tested postures during all the movements. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to see the effect of different induced head-neck-jaw postures on head-neck position sense among healthy subjects. Assuming a posture for a short duration of time doesn't affect head-neck relocation error in normal healthy subjects.

Progressive Epidural Hematoma in Patients with Head Trauma: Incidence, Outcome, and Risk Factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Chen

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Progressive epidural hematoma (PEDH after head injury is often observed on serial computerized tomography (CT scans. Recent advances in imaging modalities and treatment might affect its incidence and outcome. In this study, PEDH was observed in 9.2% of 412 head trauma patients in whom two CT scans were obtained within 24 hours of injury, and in a majority of cases, it developed within 3 days after injury. In multivariate logistic regression, patient gender, age, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS score at admission, and skull fracture were not associated with PEDH, whereas hypotension (odds ratio (OR 0.38, 95% confidence interval (CI 0.17–0.84, time interval of the first CT scanning (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.19–0.83, coagulopathy (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.15–0.85, or decompressive craniectomy (DC (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.21–0.97 was independently associated with an increased risk of PEDH. The 3-month postinjury outcome was similar in patients with PEDH and patients without PEDH (χ2=0.07, P=0.86. In conclusion, epidural hematoma has a greater tendency to progress early after injury, often in dramatic and rapid fashion. Recognition of this important treatable cause of secondary brain injury and the associated risk factors may help identify the group at risk and tailor management of patients with TBI.

Concomitant Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy for High-Risk Nonmelanoma Skin Carcinomas of the Head and Neck

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smith Apisarnthanarax

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background. To report on the use and feasibility of a multimodality approach using concomitant radiotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with high-risk nonmelanoma skin carcinoma (NMSC of the head and neck. Methods. Records of patients with NMSC of the head and neck who received concomitant CRT at the University of North Carolina between 2001 and 2007 were reviewed. Results. Fifteen identified patients had at least one of the following high-risk factors: T4 disease (93%, unresectability (60%, regional nodal involvement (40%, and/or recurrence (47%. Ten patients were treated in the definitive setting and five in the postoperative setting. Platinum based chemotherapy was given in 14 (93% patients. Ten of fifteen (67% patients completed all planned chemotherapy treatments, and thirteen patients (87% completed at least 80% of planned chemotherapy. Mild radiation dermatitis occurred in all patients and reached grade 3 in 13% of patients. No patients experienced grade 4 or 5 toxicity. With a median followup of 31 months in surviving patients, the 2-year actuarial locoregional control and relapse-free survival were 79% and 49%, respectively. Conclusions. Definitive or postoperative chemoradiotherapy for patients with locally advanced or regionally metastasized NMSC of the head and neck appears feasible with acceptable toxicities and favorable locoregional control.

Allergies and risk of head and neck cancer: an original study plus meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, Jenn-Ren; Ou, Chun-Yen; Lo, Hung-I; Huang, Cheng-Chih; Lee, Wei-Ting; Huang, Jehn-Shyun; Chen, Ken-Chung; Wong, Tung-Yiu; Tsai, Sen-Tien; Yen, Chia-Jui; Wu, Yuan-Hua; Hsueh, Wei-Ting; Yang, Ming-Wei; Wu, Shang-Yin; Chang, Jang-Yang; Chang, Kwang-Yu; Lin, Chen-Lin; Wang, Fang-Ting; Wang, Yi-Hui; Weng, Ya-Ling; Yang, Han-Chien; Chang, Jeffrey S

2013-01-01

Although the relationship between allergy and cancer has been investigated extensively, the role of allergy in head and neck cancer (HNC) appears less consistent. It is not clear whether allergies can independently influence the risk of HNC in the presence of known strong environmental risk factors, including consumption of alcohol, betel quid, and cigarette. THE CURRENT PAPER REPORTS RESULTS FROM: 1) an original hospital-based case-control study, which included 252 incident cases of HNC and 236 controls frequency-matched to cases on sex and age; and 2) a meta-analysis combining the results of the current case-control study and 13 previously published studies (9 cohort studies with 727,569 subjects and 550 HNC outcomes and 5 case-control studies with 4,017 HNC cases and 10,928 controls). In the original case-control study, we observed a strong inverse association between allergies and HNC [odds ratio = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27-0.62]. The meta-analysis also indicated a statistically significant inverse association between HNC and allergies [meta-relative risk (RR) = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63-0.91], particularly strong for allergic rhinitis (meta-RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.40-0.76). In addition, the inverse association between allergies and HNC was observed only among men (meta-RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54-0.84) but not among women (meta-RR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.81-1.18). These findings suggest that immunity plays an influential role in the risk of HNC. Future studies investigating immune biomarkers, including cytokine profiles and genetic polymorphisms, are warranted to further delineate the relationship between allergies and HNC. Understanding the relationship between allergies and HNC may help devise effective strategies to reduce and treat HNC.

EARLY HEAD START FAMILIES' EXPERIENCES WITH STRESS: UNDERSTANDING VARIATIONS WITHIN A HIGH-RISK, LOW-INCOME SAMPLE.

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Hustedt, Jason T; Vu, Jennifer A; Bargreen, Kaitlin N; Hallam, Rena A; Han, Myae

2017-09-01

The federal Early Head Start program provides a relevant context to examine families' experiences with stress since participants qualify on the basis of poverty and risk. Building on previous research that has shown variations in demographic and economic risks even among qualifying families, we examined possible variations in families' perceptions of stress. Family, parent, and child data were collected to measure stressors and risk across a variety of domains in families' everyday lives, primarily from self-report measures, but also including assay results from child cortisol samples. A cluster analysis was employed to examine potential differences among groups of Early Head Start families. Results showed that there were three distinct subgroups of families, with some families perceiving that they experienced very high levels of stress while others perceived much lower levels of stress despite also experiencing poverty and heightened risk. These findings have important implications in that they provide an initial step toward distinguishing differences in low-income families' experiences with stress, thereby informing interventions focused on promoting responsive caregiving as a possible mechanism to buffer the effects of family and social stressors on young children. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Subjective expected utility with non-increasing risk aversion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wakker, P.P.

1989-01-01

It is shown that assumptions about risk aversion, usually studied under the presupposition of expected utility maximization, have a surprising extra merit at an earlier stage of the measurement work: together with the sure-thing principle, these assumptions imply subjective expected utility

Subjective memory complaints and the risk of stroke

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. Sajjad (Ayesha); S.S. Mirza (Saira); M.L.P. Portegies (Marileen); M.J. Bos (Michiel); A. Hofman (Albert); P.J. Koudstaal (Peter Jan); H.W. Tiemeier (Henning); M.A. Ikram (Arfan)

2015-01-01

textabstractBackground and Purpose-Persons with cognitive impairment, as assessed by cognitive tests, are at a higher risk of stroke. Subjective memory complaints might be an earlier marker for stroke, especially in persons with higher education. Their cognitive reserve might mask their cognitive

Cocoa intake and arterial stiffness in subjects with cardiovascular risk factors

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Recio-Rodríguez José

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To analyze the relationship of cocoa intake to central and peripheral blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and carotid intima-media thickness in subjects with some cardiovascular risk factor. Findings Design: A cross-sectional study of 351 subjects (mean age 54.76 years, 62.4% males. Measurements: Intake of cocoa and other foods using a food frequency questionnaire, central and peripheral (ambulatory and office blood pressure, central and peripheral augmentation index, pulse wave velocity, ambulatory arterial stiffness index, carotid intima-media thickness, and ankle-brachial index. Results: Higher pulse wave velocity and greater cardiovascular risk were found in non-cocoa consumers as compared to high consumers (p Conclusions In subjects with some cardiovascular risk factors, cocoa consumption does not imply improvement in the arterial stiffness values. Trial Registration Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT01325064.

Indications of CT scan after minor head trauma in children. Can age younger than 2 years be a risk factor?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozaki, Mitsunori; Seo, Yoshinobu; Nakamura, Hirohiko

2010-01-01

The indications of CT scan after minor head trauma in children are often discussed, including risks of radiation-induced malignancy. Our aim is to identify whether children younger than 2 years have greater risk of traumatic brain injury compared to older children. We enrolled and analysed 1,830 patients younger than 7 years who underwent CT scans after head trauma in our institute. Patients without any symptoms (n=916) were defined as Group A (age<2: n=391, age 2-6: n=525). Patients with extracranial traumatic findings such as scalp hematoma or laceration, and without any neurological symptoms (n=600) were defined as Group B (age<2: n=163, age 2-6: n=437). In order to analyze whether children younger than 2 years have risks of abnormal CT findings due to head trauma, we used the chi-square test in both Group A and Group B. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. In Group A, there was no significant difference in the frequency of abnormal CT findings between the younger and older groups (p=0.526). In Group B, however, there was a significant difference between those groups (p=0.0186). We suggest that, based on our findings, children younger than 2 years without any symptoms don't have a greater risk of brain injury compared to older children after minor head trauma. This study might contribute to save those children from receiving unnecessary radiation. (author)

Experimental tests on buckling of ellipsoidal vessel heads subjected to internal pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, R.L.; Alix, M.

1980-05-01

Tests were performed on 17 ellipsoidal vessel heads of three different materials and different geometries. The results include the following: 1) Accurate definition of the geometry and particularly a direct measurement of the thickness along the meridian. 2) The properties of the material of each head, obtained from test specimens cut from the head itself after the test. 3) The recording of deflection/pressure curves with indication of the pressure at which buckling occurred. These results can be used for validation and qualification of methods for calculating the buckling load when plasticity occurs before buckling. It was possible to develop an empirical equation representing the experimental results obtained with satisfactory accuracy. This equation may be useful in pressure vessel design

Allergies and risk of head and neck cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Michaud, Dominique S; Langevin, Scott M; Eliot, Melissa; Nelson, Heather H; McClean, Michael D; Christensen, Brock C; Marsit, Carmen J; Kelsey, Karl T

2012-08-01

Individuals with allergies have a heightened Th2 (T helper 2) immunity, which may provide advantages in controlling tumor growth. Inverse associations have been reported among individuals with allergies and risk of brain and pancreatic cancers. We examined the relationship between allergies and risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in a population-based case-control study with 1,014 cases and 1,193 frequency-matched controls. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) controlling for age, sex, race, smoking history, alcohol consumption, and education. In addition, in a subset of the population, models were adjusted for HPV16 status. Individuals with allergies had a 19 % lower risk of HNSCC (OR = 0.81, 95 % CI = 0.67-0.98). Associations with allergies were stronger for laryngeal (OR = 0.66, 95 % CI = 0.45-0.97) and oropharyngeal (OR = 0.73, 95 % CI = 0.57-0.92) cancers, while no association was observed for oral cavity cancers (OR = 0.98, 95 % CI = 0.76-1.26). History of asthma was not associated with overall HNSCC, but the association was statistically significant for oropharyngeal cancer (OR = 0.67, 95 % CI = 0.44-0.99). HPV16 status did not confound or modify the associations with allergies. Elevated Th2 immunity in individuals with history of allergies and asthma may reduce the risk of HNSCC. Additional research into related mechanisms may provide new insights into how to treat HNSCC. These findings may provide new insight into biological pathways that could lead to a better understanding of the etiology of this disease.

High-Risk Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael J. Veness

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Nonmelanoma skin cancers (squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas occur at an epidemic rate in many countries with the worldwide incidence increasing. The sun-exposed head and neck are the most frequent sites for these cancers to arise and in most patients diagnosed with a cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, local treatment is usually curative. However, a subset is diagnosed with a high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. High-risk factors include size (> 2 cm, thickness/depth of invasion (> 4 mm, recurrent lesions, the presence of perineural invasion, location near the parotid gland, and immunosuppression. These patients have a higher risk (> 10–20% of developing metastases to regional lymph nodes (often parotid nodes, and in some cases also of experiencing local morbidity (perineural invasion, based on unfavourable primary lesion and patient factors. Despite treatment, many patients developing metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma experience mortality and morbidity usually as a consequence of uncontrolled metastatic nodal disease. It is therefore important that clinicians treating nonmelanoma skin cancers have an understanding and awareness of these high-risk patients. The aim of this article is to discuss the factors that define a high-risk patient and to present some of the issues pertinent to their management.

Subject cataloguing of the works of fiction at the National and University Library

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatjana Kovač

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The article reviews the principles of construction and policies of application of subject headings to works of fiction at the National and University Library in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The records are created in COMARC format, and the literary type, genre and the language of a document are each assigned a code, whereas literature is also indexed by using UDC class numbers. The principles for constructing and assigning subject headings for fiction are in accordance with the IFLA Principles Underlying Subject Heading Languages, and the rules of the Slovenian General List of Subject Headings (2002. The author presents the general and more specific rules and procedures for the construction of subject headings. Most frequently used subject headings for the works of fiction are name, topical or geographic headings.

Head impact in a snowboarding accident.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailly, N; Llari, M; Donnadieu, T; Masson, C; Arnoux, P J

2017-09-01

To effectively prevent sport traumatic brain injury (TBI), means of protection need to be designed and tested in relation to the reality of head impact. This study quantifies head impacts during a typical snowboarding accident to evaluate helmet standards. A snowboarder numerical model was proposed, validated against experimental data, and used to quantify the influence of accident conditions (speed, snow stiffness, morphology, and position) on head impacts (locations, velocities, and accelerations) and injury risk during snowboarding backward falls. Three hundred twenty-four scenarios were simulated: 70% presented a high risk of mild TBI (head peak acceleration >80 g) and 15% presented a high risk of severe TBI (head injury criterion >1000). Snow stiffness, speed, and snowboarder morphology were the main factors influencing head impact metrics. Mean normal head impact speed (28 ± 6 km/h) was higher than equivalent impact speed used in American standard helmet test (ASTM F2040), and mean tangential impact speed, not included in standard tests, was 13.8 (±7 km/h). In 97% of simulated impacts, the peak head acceleration was below 300 g, which is the pass/fail criteria used in standard tests. Results suggest that initial speed, impacted surface, and pass/fail criteria used in helmet standard performance tests do not fully reflect magnitude and variability of snowboarding backward-fall impacts. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Digitized video subject positioning and surveillance system for PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Picard, Y.; Thompson, C.J.

1995-01-01

Head motion is a significant contribution to the degradation of image quality of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) studies. Images from different studies must also be realigned digitally to be correlated when the subject position has changed. These constraints could be eliminated if the subject's head position could be monitored accurately. The authors have developed a video camera-based surveillance system to monitor the head position and motion of subjects undergoing PET studies. The system consists of two CCD (charge-coupled device) cameras placed orthogonally such that both face and profile views of the subject's head are displayed side by side on an RGB video monitor. Digitized images overlay the live images in contrasting colors on the monitor. Such a system can be used to (1) position the subject in the field of view (FOV) by displaying the position of the scanner's slices on the monitor along with the current subject position, (2) monitor head motion and alert the operator of any motion during the study and (3) reposition the subject accurately for subsequent studies by displaying the previous position along with the current position in a contrasting color

Heading assessment by "tunnel vision" patients and control subjects standing or walking in a virtual reality environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Apfelbaum, Henry; Pelah, Adar; Peli, Eli

2007-01-01

Virtual reality locomotion simulators are a promising tool for evaluating the effectiveness of vision aids to mobility for people with low vision. This study examined two factors to gain insight into the verisimilitude requirements of the test environment: the effects of treadmill walking and the suitability of using controls as surrogate patients. Ten "tunnel vision" patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) were tasked with identifying which side of a clearly visible obstacle their heading through the virtual environment would lead them, and were scored both on accuracy and on their distance from the obstacle when they responded. They were tested both while walking on a treadmill and while standing, as they viewed a scene representing progress through a shopping mall. Control subjects, each wearing a head-mounted field restriction to simulate the vision of a paired patient, were also tested. At wide angles of approach, controls and patients performed with a comparably high degree of accuracy, and made their choices at comparable distances from the obstacle. At narrow angles of approach, patients' accuracy increased when walking, while controls' accuracy decreased. When walking, both patients and controls delayed their decisions until closer to the obstacle. We conclude that a head-mounted field restriction is not sufficient for simulating tunnel vision, but that the improved performance observed for walking compared to standing suggests that a walking interface (such as a treadmill) may be essential for eliciting natural perceptually-guided behavior in virtual reality locomotion simulators.

The role of epidemiology in determining if a simple short fall can cause fatal head injury in an infant: a subject review and reflection.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehsani, Johnathon P; Ibrahim, Joseph E; Bugeja, Lyndal; Cordner, Stephen

2010-09-01

This article is a subject review summarizing and interpreting the existing knowledge on the question "Can a simple short fall cause fatal head injury in an infant?" It also reflects on the challenges of undertaking a review in the contentious area of pediatric forensic pathology. The authors identified and considered 1055 publications for inclusion. Using explicit selection criteria 27 publications were included in the subject review. The literature suggests that it is rare, but possible, for fatal head injury to occur from a simple short fall. Large population studies of childhood injuries indicate that severe head injury from a short fall is extremely rare. This is counter pointed by a single documented case report that demonstrates it can happen. The question of whether it is a credible claim in a particular case is inextricable from the circumstances of that case.To strengthen the evidence based on fatal potential of simple short falls in infants, future studies addressing this question would ideally be prospective in design and include the key elements of: (1) a large sample size, (2) clearly defined comparison groups, (3) clear and verifiable criteria for causation, (4) specified fall height, (5) specified fall type: vertical free fall or the presence of additional forces, (6) composition of contact surface, and (7) nature of contact point: concentrated to one point or onto a flat surface.We believe subject reviews for forensic pathology require a specific approach because the application of information differs between clinical and courtroom settings.

The Effect of the "Zero Tolerance for Head Contact" Rule Change on the Risk of Concussions in Youth Ice Hockey Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Krolikowski, Maciej P; Black, Amanda M; Palacios-Derflingher, Luz; Blake, Tracy A; Schneider, Kathryn J; Emery, Carolyn A

2017-02-01

Ice hockey is a popular winter sport in Canada. Concussions account for the greatest proportion of all injuries in youth ice hockey. In 2011, a policy change enforcing "zero tolerance for head contact" was implemented in all leagues in Canada. To determine if the risk of game-related concussions and more severe concussions (ie, resulting in >10 days of time loss) and the mechanisms of a concussion differed for Pee Wee class (ages 11-12 years) and Bantam class (ages 13-14 years) players after the 2011 "zero tolerance for head contact" policy change compared with players in similar divisions before the policy change. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. The retrospective cohort included Pee Wee (most elite 70%, 2007-2008; n = 891) and Bantam (most elite 30%, 2008-2009; n = 378) players before the rule change and Pee Wee (2011-2012; n = 588) and Bantam (2011-2012; n = 242) players in the same levels of play after the policy change. Suspected concussions were identified by a team designate and referred to a sport medicine physician for diagnosis. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated based on multiple Poisson regression analysis, controlling for clustering by team and other important covariates and offset by game-exposure hours. Incidence rates based on the mechanisms of a concussion were estimated based on univariate Poisson regression analysis. The risk of game-related concussions increased after the head contact rule in Pee Wee (IRR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.20-2.86) and Bantam (IRR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.17-5.24) players. The risk of more severe concussions increased after the head contact rule in Pee Wee (IRR, 4.12; 95% CI, 2.00-8.50) and Bantam (IRR, 7.91; 95% CI, 3.13-19.94) players. The rates of concussions due to body checking and direct head contact increased after the rule change. The "zero tolerance for head contact" policy change did not reduce the risk of game-related concussions in Pee Wee or Bantam class ice hockey players. Increased concussion awareness and

The association of temporomandibular disorder pain with history of head and neck injury in adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Dena J; Mueller, Beth A; Critchlow, Cathy W; LeResche, Linda

2006-01-01

To evaluate the risk of self-reported temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain among adolescents in relation to previous head and/or neck injury. 3,101 enrollees (11 to 17 years of age) of a nonprofit integrated health-care system were interviewed by telephone. Two hundred four cases with self-reported TMD pain and 194 controls without self-reported TMD pain frequency-matched to the cases by age and gender completed standardized in-person interviews and physical examinations in which reports of previous head/neck injuries were recorded. Odds ratio (OR) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the relative risks of TMD pain associated with prior head and/or neck injuries were calculated using logistic regression. A greater proportion of subjects reporting TMD pain (36%) than controls (25%) had a history of head and/or neck injuries (OR = 1.8, 95% CI, 1.1-2.8). In a separate analysis, the presence of TMD based upon the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) was assessed in relation to prior head and/or neck injury. Cases reporting TMD pain and meeting the RDC/TMD criteria for myofascial pain and/or arthralgia or arthritis were 2.0 (CI, 1.0-3.8) times more likely to have had a prior head injury than were controls with neither self-reported nor RDC/TMD pain diagnoses. The results suggest a modest association of prior head injuries with both self-reported and clinically diagnosed TMD pain in adolescents.

The Effect of Subjective Risk Attitudes and Overconfidence on Risk Taking Behaviors: A Experimental Study Based on Traders of the Chinese Stock Market

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Qi-An; Xiao, Yinghong; Chen, Hui; Chen, Liang

Our research analyzes the effect of the traders’ subjective risk attitude, optimism and overconfidence on their risk taking behaviors on the Chinese Stock Market by experimental study method. We find that investors’ risk taking behavior is significantly affected by their subjective risk attitude, optimism and overconfidence. Our results also argue that the objective return and volatility of stock are not as good predictors of risk taking behavior as subjective risk and return measures. Moreover, we illustrate that overconfidence and optimism have an significant impact on risk taking behavior In line with theoretical models.

Variations in the intensive use of head CT for elderly patients with hemorrhagic stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Bekelis, Kimon; Fisher, Elliott S; Labropoulos, Nicos; Zhou, Weiping; Skinner, Jonathan

2015-04-01

To investigate the variability in head computed tomographic (CT) scanning in patients with hemorrhagic stroke in U.S. hospitals, its association with mortality, and the number of different physicians consulted. The study was approved by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects at Dartmouth College. A retrospective analysis of the Medicare fee-for-service claims data was performed for elderly patients admitted for hemorrhagic stroke in 2008-2009, with 1-year follow-up through 2010. Risk-adjusted primary outcome measures were mean number of head CT scans performed and high-intensity use of head CT (six or more head CT scans performed in the year after admission). We examined the association of high-intensity use of head CT with the number of different physicians consulted and mortality. A total of 53 272 patients (mean age, 79.6 years; 31 377 women [58.9%]) with hemorrhagic stroke were identified in the study period. The mean number of head CT scans conducted in the year after admission for stroke was 3.4; 8737 patients (16.4%) underwent six or more scans. Among the hospitals with the highest case volume (more than 50 patients with hemorrhagic stroke), risk-adjusted rates ranged from 8.0% to 48.1%. The correlation coefficient between number of physicians consulted and rates of high-intensity use of head CT was 0.522 (P mortality was found for patients undergoing six or more head CT scans (odds ratio, 0.84; 95% confidence interval: 0.69, 1.02). High rates of head CT use for patients with hemorrhagic stroke are frequently observed, without an association with decreased mortality. A higher number of physicians consulted was associated with high-intensity use of head CT. © RSNA, 2014 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Association between subjective risk perception and objective risk estimation in patients with atrial fibrillation: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zweiker, David; Zweiker, Robert; Winkler, Elisabeth; Roesch, Konstantina; Schumacher, Martin; Stepan, Vinzenz; Krippl, Peter; Bauer, Norbert; Heine, Martin; Reicht, Gerhard; Zweiker, Gudrun; Sprenger, Martin; Watzinger, Norbert

2017-09-25

Oral anticoagulation (OAC) is state-of-the-art therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia worldwide. However, little is known about the perception of patients with AF and how it correlates with risk scores used by their physicians. Therefore, we correlated patients' estimates of their own stroke and bleeding risk with the objectively predicted individual risk using CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc and HAS-BLED scores. Cross-sectional prevalence study using convenience sampling and telephone follow-up. Eight hospital departments and one general practitioner in Austria. Patients' perception of stroke and bleeding risk was opposed to commonly used risk scoring. Patients with newly diagnosed AF and indication for anticoagulation. Comparison of subjective risk perception with CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc and HAS-BLED scores showing possible discrepancies between subjective and objective risk estimation. Patients' judgement of their own knowledge on AF and education were also correlated with accuracy of subjective risk appraisal. Ninety-one patients (age 73±11 years, 45% female) were included in this study. Subjective stroke and bleeding risk estimation did not correlate with risk scores (ρ=0.08 and ρ=0.17). The majority of patients (57%) underestimated the individual stroke risk. Patients feared stroke more than bleeding (67% vs 10%). There was no relationship between accurate perception of stroke and bleeding risks and education level. However, we found a correlation between the patients' judgement of their own knowledge of AF and correct assessment of individual stroke risk (ρ=0.24, p=0.02). During follow-up, patients experienced the following events: death (n=5), stroke (n=2), bleeding (n=1). OAC discontinuation rate despite indication was 3%. In this cross-sectional analysis of OAC-naive patients with AF, we found major differences between patients' perceptions and physicians' assessments of risks and benefits of OAC. To ensure shared decision-making and informed

Heading perception in patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Li; Peli, Eli; Warren, William H.

2002-01-01

PURPOSE: We investigated whether retinis pigmentosa (RP) patients with residual visual field of < 100 degrees could perceive heading from optic flow. METHODS: Four RP patients and four age-matched normally sighted control subjects viewed displays simulating an observer walking over a ground. In experiment 1, subjects viewed either the entire display with free fixation (full-field condition) or through an aperture with a fixation point at the center (aperture condition). In experiment 2, patients viewed displays of different durations. RESULTS: RP patients' performance was comparable to that of the age-matched control subjects: heading judgment was better in the full-field condition than in the aperture condition. Increasing display duration from 0.5 s to 1 s improved patients' heading performance, but giving them more time (3 s) to gather more visual information did not consistently further improve their performance. CONCLUSIONS: RP patients use active scanning eye movements to compensate for their visual field loss in heading perception; they might be able to gather sufficient optic flow information for heading perception in about 1 s.

Risk factors for colorectal cancer in subjects with family history of the disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, E; La Vecchia, C; D'Avanzo, B; Negri, E; Franceschi, S

1997-01-01

The relationship between lifestyle factors, past medical conditions, daily meal frequency, diet and the risk of 'familial' colorectal cancer has been analysed using data from a case-control study conducted in northern Italy. A total of 1584 colorectal cancer patients and 2879 control subjects were admitted to a network of hospitals in the Greater Milan area and the Pordenone province. The subjects included for analysis were the 112 cases and the 108 control subjects who reported a family history of colorectal cancer in first-degree relatives. Colorectal cancer cases and control subjects with family history were similarly distributed according to sex, age, marital status, years of schooling and social class. Familial colorectal cancer was associated with meal frequency, medical history of diabetes (relative risk, RR = 4.6) and cholelithiasis (RR = 5.2). Significant positive trends of increasing risk with more frequent consumption were observed for pasta (RR = 2.5, for the highest vs the lowest intake tertile), pastries (RR = 2.4), red meat (RR = 2.9), canned meat (RR = 1.9), cheese (RR = 3.5) and butter (RR = 1.9). Significant inverse associations and trends in risk were observed for consumption of poultry (RR = 0.4), tomatoes (RR = 0.2), peppers (RR = 0.3) and lettuce (RR = 0.3). Significant inverse trends in risk with increasing consumption for beta-carotene and ascorbic acid were observed (RR = 0.5 and 0.4 respectively, highest vs lowest intake tertile). These results suggest that risk factors for subjects with a family history of colorectal cancer in first-degree relatives are not appreciably different from recognized risk factors of the disease in the general population.

A new 3-dimensional head fixation device for brain imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, Ryoi; Kawashima, Ryuta; Yoshioka, Seiro; Ono, Shuichi; Ito, Hiroshi; Sato, Kazunori; Akaizawa, Takashi; Koyama, Masamichi; Fukuda, Hiroshi

1995-01-01

We have developed a new head fixation device for studies of brain function. This device was designed to immobilize subject's heads during image scanning and to precisely reproduce the head position for two different imaging modalities such as MRI and PET. The device consists of a plastic frame, a pillow filled with beads of styrene foam, and a face mask of thermoplastic resin which was originally intended for application in radiotherapy. A bridge for biting was incorporated into the mask for stable fixation. The device enables immobilization of subject's heads with good reproducibility of position at the practical level. Our results indicate that this head fixation system is useful for fixation of head during activation studies using PET. (author)

Computed Tomography (CT) -- Head

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... medically necessary because of potential risk to the baby. This risk is, however, minimal with head CT ... intravenous contrast indicate mothers should not breastfeed their babies for 24-48 hours after contrast medium is ...

Head Start.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenman, Geri

2000-01-01

Discusses an art project in which students created drawings of mop heads. Explains that the approach of drawing was more important than the subject. States that the students used the chiaroscuro technique, used by Rembrandt and Caravaggio, in which light appears out of the darkness. (CMK)

Diet and the risk of head and neck cancer: a pooled analysis in the INHANCE consortium.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Chuang, Shu-Chun

2012-01-01

We investigated the association between diet and head and neck cancer (HNC) risk using data from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium. The INHANCE pooled data included 22 case-control studies with 14,520 cases and 22,737 controls. Center-specific quartiles among the controls were used for food groups, and frequencies per week were used for single food items. A dietary pattern score combining high fruit and vegetable intake and low red meat intake was created. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the dietary items on the risk of HNC were estimated with a two-stage random-effects logistic regression model. An inverse association was observed for higher-frequency intake of fruit (4th vs. 1st quartile OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.43-0.62, p (trend) < 0.01) and vegetables (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.49-0.90, p (trend) = 0.01). Intake of red meat (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.13-1.74, p (trend) = 0.13) and processed meat (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.14-1.65, p (trend) < 0.01) was positively associated with HNC risk. Higher dietary pattern scores, reflecting high fruit\\/vegetable and low red meat intake, were associated with reduced HNC risk (per score increment OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.84-0.97).

Heading assessment by “tunnel vision” patients and control subjects standing or walking in a virtual reality environment

Science.gov (United States)

APFELBAUM, HENRY; PELAH, ADAR; PELI, ELI

2007-01-01

Virtual reality locomotion simulators are a promising tool for evaluating the effectiveness of vision aids to mobility for people with low vision. This study examined two factors to gain insight into the verisimilitude requirements of the test environment: the effects of treadmill walking and the suitability of using controls as surrogate patients. Ten “tunnel vision” patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) were tasked with identifying which side of a clearly visible obstacle their heading through the virtual environment would lead them, and were scored both on accuracy and on their distance from the obstacle when they responded. They were tested both while walking on a treadmill and while standing, as they viewed a scene representing progress through a shopping mall. Control subjects, each wearing a head-mounted field restriction to simulate the vision of a paired patient, were also tested. At wide angles of approach, controls and patients performed with a comparably high degree of accuracy, and made their choices at comparable distances from the obstacle. At narrow angles of approach, patients’ accuracy increased when walking, while controls’ accuracy decreased. When walking, both patients and controls delayed their decisions until closer to the obstacle. We conclude that a head-mounted field restriction is not sufficient for simulating tunnel vision, but that the improved performance observed for walking compared to standing suggests that a walking interface (such as a treadmill) may be essential for eliciting natural perceptually-guided behavior in virtual reality locomotion simulators. PMID:18167511

Gastrointestinal Physiology During Head Down Tilt Bedrest in Human Subjects

Science.gov (United States)

Vaksman, Z.; Guthienz, J.; Putcha, L.

2008-01-01

Introduction: Gastrointestinal (GI) motility plays a key role in the physiology and function of the GI tract. It directly affects absorption of medications and nutrients taken by mouth, in addition to indirectly altering GI physiology by way of changes in the microfloral composition and biochemistry of the GI tract. Astronauts have reported nausea, loss of appetite and constipation during space flight all of which indicate a reduction in GI motility and function similar to the one seen in chronic bed rest patients. The purpose of this study is to determine GI motility and bacterial proliferation during -6 degree head down tilt bed rest (HTD). Methods: Healthy male and female subjects between the ages of 25-40 participated in a 60 day HTD study protocol. GI transit time (GITT) was determined using lactulose breath hydrogen test and bacterial overgrowth was measured using glucose breath hydrogen test. H. Pylori colonization was determined using C13-urea breath test (UBIT#). All three tests were conducted on 9 days before HDT, and repeated on HDT days 2, 28, 58, and again on day 7 after HDT. Results: GITT increased during HTD compared to the respective ambulatory control values; GITT was significantly lower on day 7 after HTD. A concomitant increase in bacterial colonization was also noticed during HDT starting after approximately 28 days of HDT. However, H. Pylori proliferation was not recorded during HDT as indicated by UBIT#. Conclusion: GITT significantly decreased during HDT with a concomitant increase in the proliferation of GI bacterial flora but not H. pylori.

Protective head of sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liska, K.; Anton, P.

1987-01-01

The discovery concerns the protective heads of diagnostic assemblies of nuclear power plants for conductors of the sensors from the fuel and control parts of the said assemblies. A detailed description is presented of the design of the protective head which, as compared with the previous design, allows quick and simple assembly with reduced risk of damaging the sensors. The protective head may be used for diagnostic assemblies both in power and in research reactors and it will be used for WWER reactor assemblies. (A.K.). 3 figs

Head and neck control varies with perturbation acceleration but not jerk: implications for whiplash injuries.

Science.gov (United States)

Siegmund, Gunter P; Blouin, Jean-Sébastien

2009-04-15

Recent studies have proposed that a high rate of acceleration onset, i.e. high jerk, during a low-speed vehicle collision increases the risk of whiplash injury by triggering inappropriate muscle responses and/or increasing peak head acceleration. Our goal was to test these proposed mechanisms at realistic jerk levels and then to determine how collision jerk affects the potential for whiplash injuries. Twenty-three seated volunteers (8 F, 15 M) were exposed to multiple experiments involving perturbations simulating the onset of a vehicle collision in eyes open and eyes closed conditions. In the first experiment, subjects experienced five forward and five rearward perturbations to look for the inappropriate muscle responses and 'floppy' head kinematics previously attributed to high jerk perturbations. In the second experiment, we independently varied the jerk ( approximately 125 to 3 000 m s(-3)) and acceleration ( approximately 0.65 to 2.6 g) of the perturbation to assess their effect on the electromyographic (EMG) responses of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), scalene (SCAL) and cervical paraspinal (PARA) muscles and the kinematic responses of the head and neck. In the first experiment, we found neither inappropriate muscle responses nor floppy head kinematics when subjects had their eyes open, but observed two subjects with floppy head kinematics with eyes closed. In the second experiment, we found that about 70% of the variations in the SCM and SCAL responses and about 95% of the variations in head/neck kinematics were explained by changes in perturbation acceleration in both the eyes open and eyes closed conditions. Less than 2% of the variation in the muscle and kinematic responses was explained by changes in perturbation jerk and, where significant, response amplitudes diminished with increasing jerk. Based on these findings, collision jerk appears to have little or no role in the genesis of whiplash injuries in low-speed vehicle crashes.

Heading off boundary problems: clinical supervision as risk management.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, R; Clark, J J

1999-11-01

The effective management of risk in clinical practice includes steps to limit harm to clients resulting from ethical violations or professional misconduct. Boundary problems constitute some of the most damaging ethical violations. The authors propose an active use of clinical supervision to anticipate and head off possible ethical violations by intervening when signs of boundary problems appear. The authors encourage a facilitative, Socratic method, rather than directive approaches, to help supervisees maximize their learning about ethical complexities. Building on the idea of a slippery slope, in which seemingly insignificant acts can lead to unethical patterns of behavior, the authors discuss ten cues to potential boundary problems, including strong feelings about a client; extended sessions with clients; gift giving between clinician and client; loans, barter, and sale of goods; clinician self-disclosures; and touching and sex. The authors outline supervisory interventions to be made when the cues are detected.

Cost/benefit and risk/benefit analyses in LMFBR program planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brewer, S.T.; Benson, R.A.; Palmer, R.S.

1978-01-01

The subject is discussed under the following headings: incentives analyses, uranium availability, electrical demand, the present value of future savings, alternatives to the breeder, environmental considerations, development program risks, results and conclusions. (U.K.)

Genetic variants of NOXA and MCL1 modify the risk of HPV16-associated squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Ziyuan; Sturgis, Erich M; Liu, Zhensheng; Wang, Li-E; Wei, Qingyi; Li, Guojun

2012-01-01

The cooperation between phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate induced protein 1 (NOXA) and myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL1) is critical in the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16), by inducing p53 and pRb-E2F degradation, may play an essential role in development of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) through NOXA-MCL1 axis-mediated apoptosis. Therefore, genetic variants of NOXA and MCL1 may modify the SCCHN risk associated with HPV16 seropositivity. HPV16 serology was obtained by immunoadsorption assay. Four functional SNPs in the promoter of NOXA (rs9957673, rs4558496) and MCL1 (rs9803935, rs3738485) were genotyped for 380 cases and 335 frequency-matched cancer-free controls of non-Hispanic whites. Associations between the four polymorphisms and SCCHN risk were not significant, while we observed a significantly joint effect on SCCHN risk between the polymorphisms and HPV16 seropositivity. Notably, this effect modification was particularly pronounced for oropharyngeal cancer in subgroups including never smokers, never drinkers and younger subjects. Our results suggested that polymorphisms of NOXA and MCL1 may modify the risk of HPV16-associated oropharyngeal cancer. The further identification of population subgroups at higher risk provides evidence that HPV-targeting treatment may help benefit SCCHN. However, larger studies are needed to validate our findings

Head First Statistics

CERN Document Server

Griffiths, Dawn

2009-01-01

Wouldn't it be great if there were a statistics book that made histograms, probability distributions, and chi square analysis more enjoyable than going to the dentist? Head First Statistics brings this typically dry subject to life, teaching you everything you want and need to know about statistics through engaging, interactive, and thought-provoking material, full of puzzles, stories, quizzes, visual aids, and real-world examples. Whether you're a student, a professional, or just curious about statistical analysis, Head First's brain-friendly formula helps you get a firm grasp of statistics

Validation of the sensitivity of the National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS Head computed tomographic (CT decision instrument for selective imaging of blunt head injury patients: An observational study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William R Mower

2017-07-01

,003 patients who did not have significant injuries (specificity, 25.6% [95% CI: 24.8%-26.4%]. Significant injuries were absent in 2,815 of the 2,823 patients assigned low-risk status (NPV, 99.7% [95% CI: 99.4%-99.9%]. Of our patients, 7,759 (65.9% met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the Canadian Head CT rule, including 111 patients (1.43% who required neurosurgical intervention and 306 (3.94% who had significant intracranial injuries. In our study, the Canadian criteria for neurosurgical intervention identified 108 of 111 patients requiring neurosurgical intervention to yield a sensitivity of 97.3% (95% CI: 92.3%-99.4% and exhibited a specificity of 58.8% (95% CI: 57.7%-59.9%. The NEXUS rule, when applied to this same cohort, identified all 111 patients requiring neurosurgical intervention, yielding a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 96.7%-100.0% with a specificity of 32.6% (95% CI: 31.5%-33.6%. Our study found that the Canadian medium-risk factors identified 301 of 306 patients with significant injuries (sensitivity = 98.4%; 95% CI: 96.2%-99.5%, while the NEXUS rule identified 299 of these patients (sensitivity = 97.7%; 95% CI: 95.3%-99.1%. In our study, the Canadian medium-risk rule exhibited a specificity of 12.3% (95% CI: 11.6%-13.1%, while the NEXUS rule exhibited a specificity of 33.3% (95% CI: 32.3%-34.4%. Limitations of the study may arise from application of the rule by different clinicians in different environments. Clinicians may vary in their interpretation and application of the instrument's criteria and risk assignment and may also vary in deciding which patients require intervention. The instrument's specificity is also subject to spectrum bias and may change with variations in the proportion of "low-risk" patients seen in other centers.The NEXUS Head CT DI reliably identifies blunt trauma patients who require head CT imaging and could significantly reduce the use of CT imaging.

Head Trauma in Mixed Martial Arts.

Science.gov (United States)

Hutchison, Michael G; Lawrence, David W; Cusimano, Michael D; Schweizer, Tom A

2014-06-01

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full combative sport with a recent global increase in popularity despite significant scrutiny from medical associations. To date, the empirical research of the risk of head injuries associated with this sport is limited. Youth and amateur participation is growing, warranting investigation into the burden and mechanism of injuries associated with this sport. (1) To determine the incidence, risk factors, and characteristics of knockouts (KOs) and technical knockouts (TKOs) from repetitive strikes in professional MMA; and (2) to identify the mechanisms of head trauma and the situational factors that lead to KOs and TKOs secondary to repetitive strikes through video analysis. Descriptive epidemiology study. Competition data and video records for all KOs and TKOs from numbered Ultimate Fighting Championship MMA events (n = 844) between 2006 to 2012. Analyses included (1) multivariate logistic regression to investigate factors associated with an increased risk of sustaining a KO or TKO secondary to repetitive strikes and (2) video analysis of all KOs and TKOs secondary to repetitive strikes with descriptive statistics. During the study period, the KO rate was 6.4 per 100 athlete-exposures (AEs) (12.7% of matches), and the rate of TKOs secondary to repetitive strikes was 9.5 per 100 AEs (19.1% of matches), for a combined incidence of match-ending head trauma of 15.9 per 100 AEs (31.9% of matches). Logistic regression identified that weight class, earlier time in a round, earlier round in a match, and older age were risk factors for both KOs and TKOs secondary to repetitive strikes. Match significance and previously sustained KOs or TKOs were also risk factors for KOs. Video analysis identified that all KOs were the result of direct impact to the head, most frequently a strike to the mandibular region (53.9%). The average time between the KO-strike and match stoppage was 3.5 seconds (range, 0-20 seconds), with losers sustaining an average of 2

Biomechanics of Heading a Soccer Ball: Implications for Player Safety

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles F. Babbs

2001-01-01

Full Text Available To better understand the risk and safety of heading a soccer ball, the author created a set of simple mathematical models based upon Newton�s second law of motion to describe the physics of heading. These models describe the player, the ball, the flight of the ball before impact, the motion of the head and ball during impact, and the effects of all of these upon the intensity and the duration of acceleration of the head. The calculated head accelerations were compared to those during presumably safe daily activities of jumping, dancing, and head nodding and also were related to established criteria for serious head injury from the motor vehicle crash literature. The results suggest heading is usually safe but occasionally dangerous, depending on key characteristics of both the player and the ball. Safety is greatly improved when players head the ball with greater effective body mass, which is determined by a player�s size, strength, and technique. Smaller youth players, because of their lesser body mass, are more at risk of potentially dangerous headers than are adults, even when using current youth size balls. Lower ball inflation pressure reduces risk of dangerous head accelerations. Lower pressure balls also have greater “touch” and “playability”, measured in terms of contact time and contact area between foot and ball during a kick. Focus on teaching proper technique, the re-design of age-appropriate balls for young players with reduced weight and inflation pressure, and avoidance of head contact with fast, rising balls kicked at close range can substantially reduce risk of subtle brain injury in players who head soccer balls.

Genomic study and Medical Subject Headings enrichment analysis of early pregnancy rate and antral follicle numbers in Nelore heifers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oliveira Junior, G. A.; Perez, B. C.; Cole, J. B.

2017-01-01

be considered in a functional enrichment analysis to identify biological mechanisms involved in fertility. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) were detected using the MESHR package, allowing the extraction of broad meanings from the gene lists provided by the GWAS. The estimated heritability for HP was 0.28 +/- 0...... gains. In this study, we performed a genomewide association study (GWAS) to identify genetic variants associated with reproductive traits in Nelore beef cattle. Heifer pregnancy (HP) was recorded for 1,267 genotyped animals distributed in 12 contemporary groups (CG) with an average pregnancy rate of 0...

Risk, value conflict and political legitimacy. Chapter 7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotgrove, S.

1981-01-01

The differing views of environmentalists, the public and industrialists on the perception of dangers to the environment are analysed. The subject is continued under the headings: competing paradigms; acceptable risk; values for money - flowers or production; a crisis of legitimacy (query). (U.K.)

Risk stratification for avascular necrosis of the femoral head after internal fixation of femoral neck fractures by post-operative SPECT/CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Sang Won; Oh, Min Young; Yoon, Seok Ho; Kim, Jin Soo; Chang, Jae Suk; Ryu, Jin Sook [Asan Medical CenterUniversity of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ji Wan [Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-15

Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head is a major complication after internal fixation of a femoral neck fracture and determines the functional prognosis. We investigated postoperative bone single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) for assessing the risk of femoral head AVN. We retrospectively reviewed 53 consecutive patients who underwent bone SPECT/CT within 2 weeks of internal fixation of a femoral neck fracture and follow-up serial hip radiographs over at least 12 months. Nine patients developed femoral head AVN. In 15 patients who showed normal uptake on immediate postoperative SPECT/CT, no AVN occurred, whereas 9 of 38 patients who showed cold defects of the femoral head later developed AVN. The negative predictive value of immediate postoperative SPECT/CT for AVN was 100 %, whereas the positive predictive value was 24 %. Among 38 patients with cold defects, 1 developed AVN 3 months postoperatively. A follow-up bone SPECT/CT was performed in the other 37 patients at 2–10 months postoperatively. The follow-up bone SPECT/CT revealed completely normalized femoral head uptake in 27, partially normalized uptake in 8, and persistent cold defects in 2 patients. AVN developed in 3.7 % (1/27), 62.5 % (5/8), and 100 % (2/2) of each group, respectively. According to the time point of imaging, radiotracer uptake patterns of the femoral head on postoperative bone SPECT/CT indicate the risk of AVN after internal fixation of femoral neck fractures differently. Postoperative bone SPECT/CT may help orthopedic surgeons determine the appropriate follow-up of these patients.

Risk stratification for avascular necrosis of the femoral head after internal fixation of femoral neck fractures by post-operative SPECT/CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Sang Won; Oh, Min Young; Yoon, Seok Ho; Kim, Jin Soo; Chang, Jae Suk; Ryu, Jin Sook; Kim, Ji Wan

2017-01-01

Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head is a major complication after internal fixation of a femoral neck fracture and determines the functional prognosis. We investigated postoperative bone single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) for assessing the risk of femoral head AVN. We retrospectively reviewed 53 consecutive patients who underwent bone SPECT/CT within 2 weeks of internal fixation of a femoral neck fracture and follow-up serial hip radiographs over at least 12 months. Nine patients developed femoral head AVN. In 15 patients who showed normal uptake on immediate postoperative SPECT/CT, no AVN occurred, whereas 9 of 38 patients who showed cold defects of the femoral head later developed AVN. The negative predictive value of immediate postoperative SPECT/CT for AVN was 100 %, whereas the positive predictive value was 24 %. Among 38 patients with cold defects, 1 developed AVN 3 months postoperatively. A follow-up bone SPECT/CT was performed in the other 37 patients at 2–10 months postoperatively. The follow-up bone SPECT/CT revealed completely normalized femoral head uptake in 27, partially normalized uptake in 8, and persistent cold defects in 2 patients. AVN developed in 3.7 % (1/27), 62.5 % (5/8), and 100 % (2/2) of each group, respectively. According to the time point of imaging, radiotracer uptake patterns of the femoral head on postoperative bone SPECT/CT indicate the risk of AVN after internal fixation of femoral neck fractures differently. Postoperative bone SPECT/CT may help orthopedic surgeons determine the appropriate follow-up of these patients

Calculated and perceived cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic subjects submitted to a routine medical evaluation: The perception gap.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Marcelo; Laurinavicius, Antonio G; Franco, Fabio G M; Conceicao, Raquel D; Carvalho, Jose A M; Pesaro, Antonio E P; Wajngarten, Mauricio; Santos, Raul D

2015-08-01

Poor adherence to medical treatment represents a major health problem. A subject's misperception of his own cardiovascular risk has been indicated as a key driver for low compliance with preventive measures. This study analysed the relationship between objectively calculated short- and long-term cardiovascular risk and its subjective perception. Cross-sectional study in asymptomatic Brazilian subjects. Individuals (N = 6544, mean age 49.1 ± 7 years, 22.2% female) who underwent a routine mandatory health evaluation were studied. A questionnaire in which each individual rated his own cardiovascular risk as low, intermediate or high according to his own perception was used. The 10-year and lifetime cardiovascular risk were calculated respectively using the Framingham risk (FRS) and Lifetime risk (LRS) scores. Individuals were classified as hypo-perceivers (i.e. perceived risk lower than estimated risk), normo-perceivers (i.e. perceived risk coincident with estimated risk) and hyper-perceivers (i.e. perceived risk higher than estimated risk). Cardiovascular risk, using the FRS, was low in 77.9% (N = 5071), intermediate in 14.4% (N = 939) and high in 7.7% (N = 499) of subjects. Cardiovascular risk, using the LRS, was low in 7.6% (N = 492), intermediate in 43.1% (N = 2787) and high in 49.3% (N = 3184) of the study population. The prevalence of normo-perceivers was 57.6% using the FRS and only 20.6% using the LRS. Using the LRS, 72.3% of the intermediate and 91.2% of the high-risk subjects were hypo-perceivers. In a large sample of asymptomatic individuals, there was a gap between calculated and perceived cardiovascular risk. Using a long-term risk score, most of the intermediate- and high-risk subjects were hypo-perceivers. © The European Society of Cardiology 2014.

Effect of external viscous load on head movement

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, M.-H.; Lakshminarayanan, V.; Stark, L. W.

1984-01-01

Quantitative measurements of horizontal head rotation were obtained from normal human subjects intending to make 'time optimal' trajectories between targets. By mounting large, lightweight vanes on the head, viscous damping B, up to 15 times normal could be added to the usual mechanical load of the head. With the added viscosity, the head trajectory was slowed and of larger duration (as expected) since fixed and maximal (for that amplitude) muscle forces had to accelerate the added viscous load. This decreased acceleration and velocity and longer duration movement still ensued in spite of adaptive compensation; this provided evidence that quasi-'time optimal' movements do indeed employ maximal muscle forces. The adaptation to this added load was rapid. Then the 'adapted state' subjects produced changed trajectories. The adaptation depended in part on the differing detailed instructions given to the subjects. This differential adaptation provided evidence for the existence of preprogrammed controller signals, sensitive to intended criterion, and neurologically ballistic or open loop rather than modified by feedback from proprioceptors or vision.

Individual Differences in Subjective Utility and Risk Preferences: The Influence of Hedonic Capacity and Trait Anxiety

Science.gov (United States)

Howlett, Jonathon R.; Paulus, Martin P.

2017-01-01

Individual differences in decision-making are important in both normal populations and psychiatric conditions. Variability in decision-making could be mediated by different subjective utilities or by other processes. For example, while traditional economic accounts attribute risk aversion to a concave subjective utility curve, in practice other factors could affect risk behavior. This distinction may have important implications for understanding the biological basis of variability in decision-making and for developing interventions to improve decision-making. Another aspect of decision-making that may vary between individuals is the sensitivity of subjective utility to counterfactual outcomes (outcomes that could have occurred, but did not). We investigated decision-making in relation to hedonic capacity and trait anxiety, two traits that relate to psychiatric conditions but also vary in the general population. Subjects performed a decision-making task, in which they chose between low- and high-risk gambles to win 0, 20, or 40 points on each trial. Subjects then rated satisfaction after each outcome on a visual analog scale, indicating subjective utility. Hedonic capacity was positively associated with the subjective utility of winning 20 points but was not associated with the concavity of the subjective utility curve (constructed using the mean subjective utility of winning 0, 20, or 40 points). Consistent with economic theory, concavity of the subjective utility curve was associated with risk aversion. Hedonic capacity was independently associated with risk seeking (i.e., not mediated by the shape of the subjective utility curve), while trait anxiety was unrelated to risk preferences. Contrary to our expectations, counterfactual sensitivity was unrelated to hedonic capacity and trait anxiety. Nevertheless, trait anxiety was associated with a self-report measure of regret-proneness, suggesting that counterfactual influences may occur via a pathway that is separate

Individual Differences in Subjective Utility and Risk Preferences: The Influence of Hedonic Capacity and Trait Anxiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Howlett, Jonathon R; Paulus, Martin P

2017-01-01

Individual differences in decision-making are important in both normal populations and psychiatric conditions. Variability in decision-making could be mediated by different subjective utilities or by other processes. For example, while traditional economic accounts attribute risk aversion to a concave subjective utility curve, in practice other factors could affect risk behavior. This distinction may have important implications for understanding the biological basis of variability in decision-making and for developing interventions to improve decision-making. Another aspect of decision-making that may vary between individuals is the sensitivity of subjective utility to counterfactual outcomes (outcomes that could have occurred, but did not). We investigated decision-making in relation to hedonic capacity and trait anxiety, two traits that relate to psychiatric conditions but also vary in the general population. Subjects performed a decision-making task, in which they chose between low- and high-risk gambles to win 0, 20, or 40 points on each trial. Subjects then rated satisfaction after each outcome on a visual analog scale, indicating subjective utility. Hedonic capacity was positively associated with the subjective utility of winning 20 points but was not associated with the concavity of the subjective utility curve (constructed using the mean subjective utility of winning 0, 20, or 40 points). Consistent with economic theory, concavity of the subjective utility curve was associated with risk aversion. Hedonic capacity was independently associated with risk seeking (i.e., not mediated by the shape of the subjective utility curve), while trait anxiety was unrelated to risk preferences. Contrary to our expectations, counterfactual sensitivity was unrelated to hedonic capacity and trait anxiety. Nevertheless, trait anxiety was associated with a self-report measure of regret-proneness, suggesting that counterfactual influences may occur via a pathway that is separate

Individual Differences in Subjective Utility and Risk Preferences: The Influence of Hedonic Capacity and Trait Anxiety

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathon R. Howlett

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Individual differences in decision-making are important in both normal populations and psychiatric conditions. Variability in decision-making could be mediated by different subjective utilities or by other processes. For example, while traditional economic accounts attribute risk aversion to a concave subjective utility curve, in practice other factors could affect risk behavior. This distinction may have important implications for understanding the biological basis of variability in decision-making and for developing interventions to improve decision-making. Another aspect of decision-making that may vary between individuals is the sensitivity of subjective utility to counterfactual outcomes (outcomes that could have occurred, but did not. We investigated decision-making in relation to hedonic capacity and trait anxiety, two traits that relate to psychiatric conditions but also vary in the general population. Subjects performed a decision-making task, in which they chose between low- and high-risk gambles to win 0, 20, or 40 points on each trial. Subjects then rated satisfaction after each outcome on a visual analog scale, indicating subjective utility. Hedonic capacity was positively associated with the subjective utility of winning 20 points but was not associated with the concavity of the subjective utility curve (constructed using the mean subjective utility of winning 0, 20, or 40 points. Consistent with economic theory, concavity of the subjective utility curve was associated with risk aversion. Hedonic capacity was independently associated with risk seeking (i.e., not mediated by the shape of the subjective utility curve, while trait anxiety was unrelated to risk preferences. Contrary to our expectations, counterfactual sensitivity was unrelated to hedonic capacity and trait anxiety. Nevertheless, trait anxiety was associated with a self-report measure of regret-proneness, suggesting that counterfactual influences may occur via a pathway

Embodiment and Entangled Subjectivity: A Study of Robin Cook's Coma, Priscille Sibley's The Promise of Stardust and Alexander Beliaev's Professor Dowell's Head.

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Karmakar, Manali; Parui, Avishek

2018-03-22

The essay examines Robin Cook's (1977) Coma and Priscille Sibley's (2013) The Promise of Stardust that dramatize the reified and disposable status of the brain-dead patients who are classified as nonpersons. The essay argues that the man-machine entanglement as depicted in the novels constructs a deterritorialized and entangled form of subjectivity that intervenes in the dominant biomedical understanding of personhood and agency that we notionally associate with a conscious mind. The essay concludes its arguments by discussing Alexander Beliaev's (1925) Professor Dowell's Head which depicts human subjectivity as an essentially embodied and distributive phenomenon and interrogates the Cartesian mind body dualism embedded in the dominant biomedical narratives.

Objective and subjective image quality of primary and recurrent squamous cell carcinoma on head and neck low-tube-voltage 80-kVp computed tomography

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Scholtz, Jan-Erik; Kaup, Moritz; Kraft, Johannes; Noeske, Eva-Maria; Schulz, Boris; Burck, Iris; Kerl, J.M.; Bauer, Ralf W.; Lehnert, Thomas; Vogl, Thomas J.; Wichmann, Julian L. [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Frankfurt (Germany); Scheerer, Friedrich [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial and Plastic Facial Surgery, Frankfurt (Germany); Wagenblast, Jens [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Frankfurt (Germany)

2015-03-26

To investigate low-tube-voltage 80-kVp computed tomography (CT) of head and neck primary and recurrent squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) regarding objective and subjective image quality. We retrospectively evaluated 65 patients (47 male, 18 female; mean age: 62.1 years) who underwent head and neck dual-energy CT (DECT) due to biopsy-proven primary (n = 50) or recurrent (n = 15) SCC. Eighty peak kilovoltage and standard blended 120-kVp images were compared. Attenuation and noise of malignancy and various soft tissue structures were measured. Tumor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated. Subjective image quality was rated by three reviewers using 5-point grading scales regarding overall image quality, lesion delineation, image sharpness, and image noise. Radiation dose was assessed as CT dose index volume (CTDI{sub vol}). Interobserver agreement was calculated using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Mean tumor attenuation (153.8 Hounsfield unit (HU) vs. 97.1 HU), SNR (10.7 vs. 8.3), CNR (8.1 vs. 4.8), and subjective tumor delineation (score, 4.46 vs. 4.13) were significantly increased (all P < 0.001) with 80-kVp acquisition compared to standard blended 120-kVp images. Noise of all measured structures was increased in 80-kVp acquisition (P < 0.001). Overall interobserver agreement was good (ICC, 0.86; 95 % confidence intervals: 0.82-0.89). CTDI{sub vol} was reduced by 48.7 % with 80-kVp acquisition compared to standard DECT (4.85 ± 0.51 vs. 9.94 ± 0.81 mGy cm, P < 0.001). Head and neck CT with low-tube-voltage 80-kVp acquisition provides increased tumor delineation, SNR, and CNR for CT imaging of primary and recurrent SCC compared to standard 120-kVp acquisition with an accompanying significant reduction of radiation exposure. (orig.)

Head position affects the direction of occlusal force during tapping movement.

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Nakamura, K; Minami, I; Wada, J; Ikawa, Y; Wakabayashi, N

2018-05-01

Despite numerous reports describing the relationship between head position and mandibular movement in human subjects, the direction and magnitude of force at the occlusal contacts have not been investigated in relation to head position. The objective was to investigate the effect of head position on the direction of occlusal force while subjects performed a tapping movement. Twenty-three healthy adult subjects were asked to sit on a chair with their back upright and to perform 15 tapping movements in five different head positions: natural head position (control); forward; backward; and right and left rolled. The direction and magnitude of force were measured using a small triaxial force sensor. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Bonferroni test were used to compare head positions in each angle of the anteroposterior axis direction and the lateral axis direction with respect to the superior axis. The force element in the anteroposterior axis shifted to the forward direction in the head position pitched backward, compared with control, pitched forward and rolled left positions (P = .02, tapping movement can be performed in a relaxed position without anteroposterior and lateral loading. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Consumption of vegetables and fruits and risk of subtypes of head-neck cancer in the Netherlands Cohort Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maasland, D.H.E.; Brandt, P.A. van den; Kremer, B.; Goldbohm, R.A.; Schouten, L.J.

2015-01-01

There is limited prospective data on the relationship between consumption of vegetables and fruits and the risk of head-neck cancer (HNC) subtypes [i.e., oral cavity cancer (OCC), oro-/hypopharyngeal cancer (OHPC) and laryngeal cancer (LC)]. Therefore, we investigated these associations within the

Multivariate analysis of potential risk factors for lymph node metastasis in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haisma, Marjolijn S.; Plaat, Boudewijn E. C.; Bijl, Hendrik P.; Roodenburg, Jan L. N.; Diercks, Gilles F. H.; Romeijn, Tonnis R.; Terra, Jorrit B.

2016-01-01

Background: The current knowledge about potential risk factors for lymph node (LN) metastasis in patients with head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (HNcSCC) is primarily based on studies that lack adjustment for confounding variables. Objectives: We sought to identify independent risk

The Cervical Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potentials (cVEMPs) Recorded Along the Sternocleidomastoid Muscles During Head Rotation and Flexion in Normal Human Subjects.

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Ashford, Alexander; Huang, Jun; Zhang, Chunming; Wei, Wei; Mustain, William; Eby, Thomas; Zhu, Hong; Zhou, Wu

2016-08-01

Tone burst-evoked myogenic potentials recorded from tonically contracted sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCM) (cervical VEMP or cVEMP) are widely used to assess the vestibular function. Since the cVEMP response is mediated by the vestibulo-collic reflex (VCR) pathways, it is important to understand how the cVEMPs are determined by factors related to either the sensory components (vestibular end organs) or the motor components (SCM) of the VCR pathways. Compared to the numerous studies that have investigated effects of sound parameters on the cVEMPs, there are few studies that have examined effects of SCM-related factors on the cVEMPs. The goal of the present study is to fill this knowledge gap by testing three SCM-related hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that contrary to the current view, the cVEMP response is only present in the SCM ipsilateral to the stimulated ear. The second hypothesis is that the cVEMP response is not only dependent on tonic level of the SCM, but also on how the tonic level is achieved, i.e., by head rotation or head flexion. The third hypothesis is that the SCM is compartmented and the polarity of the cVEMP response is dependent on the recording site. Seven surface electrodes were positioned along the left SCMs in 12 healthy adult subjects, and tone bursts were delivered to the ipsilateral or contralateral ear (8 ms plateau, 1 ms rise/fall, 130 dB SPL, 50-4000 Hz) while subjects activated their SCMs by head rotation (HR condition) or chin downward head flexion (CD condition). The first hypothesis was confirmed by the finding that the contralateral cVEMPs were minimal at all recording sites for all the tested tones during both HR and CD conditions. The second hypothesis was confirmed by the finding that the ipsilateral cVEMPs were larger in HR condition than in CD condition at recording sites above and below the SCM midpoint. Finally, the third hypothesis was confirmed by the finding that the cVEMPs exhibit reversed polarities at the sites

Does fitness improve the cardiovascular risk profile in obese subjects?

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Halland, H; Lønnebakken, M T; Saeed, S; Midtbø, H; Cramariuc, D; Gerdts, E

2017-06-01

Good cardiorespiratory fitness has been suggested to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in obesity. We explored the association of fitness with the prevalences of major cardiovascular risk factor like hypertension (HT), diabetes and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in overweight and obese subjects. Clinical data from 491 participants in the FAT associated CardiOvasculaR dysfunction (FATCOR) study were analyzed. Physical fitness was assessed by ergospirometry, and subjects with at least good level of performance for age and sex were classified as fit. HT subtypes were identified from clinic and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure in combination. Diabetes was diagnosed by oral glucose tolerance test. MetS was defined by the American Heart Association and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute criteria. The participants were on average 48 years old (60% women), and mean body mass index (BMI) was 32 kg/m 2 . 28% of study participants were classified as fit. Fitness was not associated with lower prevalences of HT or HT subtypes, diabetes, MetS or individual MetS components (all p > 0.05). In multivariable regression analysis, being fit was characterized by lower waist circumference, BMI risk factors like HT, diabetes or MetS. Given the strong association of cardiovascular risk factor burden with risk of clinical cardiovascular disease, these findings challenge the notion that fitness alone is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease in obesity. Copyright © 2017 The Italian Society of Diabetology, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Main results of the German nuclear power plant risk study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danzmann, H.J.

1981-01-01

The subject is discussed under the headings: introduction; purpose and task of the German risk study; approach; results of investigations (analyses of engineered plant features; determination of accident consequences); emergency response model; protective actions and countermeasures; evaluation. (U.K.)

Experimental strength evaluation of cylinders with a flat head subjected to internal pressure at elevated temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Mitsuru; Makino, Yutaka

1978-01-01

The experiments using component test models such as a cylinder with a flat head and F.E.M. elastic analyses to investigate the secondary stress, peak stress and creep-fatigue interaction effect are described. The comparison of uniaxial stress with multiaxial stress about deformation and strength at elevated temperatures are also described here. The results of experiments and analysis are summarized as follows: (1) The maximum stress as the equivalent stress is the most suitable for the prediction of the creep failure life of cylinders subjected to internal pressure using the uniaxial creep test results. And the Mises's equivalent stress is the suitable for this prediction using the data of the onset of the uniaxial tertiary creep. (2) In the creep characteristics of the cylinder there, is no tertiary creep stage, and the rupture elongation of the cylinder accords with the elongation of the onset of the uniaxial tertiary creep. (3) It was recognized that the secondary stress occurred at the corner of the cylinder with a flat head has a little effect on creep and creep-fatigue life. (4) The life reduction effect due to the creep-fatigue interaction around the corner was recognized by the linear damage rule and compared with the value of Code Case 1592. (5) A difference of failure modes by imposed conditions for vessel with the size-discontinuity section was recognized by the cyclic internal pressure tests with hold time. (author)

Transcending Library Catalogs: A Comparative Study of Controlled Terms in Library of Congress Subject Headings and User-Generated Tags in LibraryThing for Transgender Books

Science.gov (United States)

Adler, Melissa

2009-01-01

Perhaps the greatest power of folksonomies, especially when set against controlled vocabularies like the Library of Congress Subject Headings, lies in their capacity to empower user communities to name their own resources in their own terms. This article analyzes the potential and limitations of both folksonomies and controlled vocabularies for…

Pattern of head and neck cancers among patients attending ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Lack of baseline data in Tanzania concerning head and ... that there is a synergistic effect of alcohol consumption and tobacco use in causing head and neck cancers ... risk factors, while radiation around the head and neck is associated with ...

Computed Tomography Profile and its Utilization in Head Injury Patients in Emergency Department: A Prospective Observational Study

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Archana Waganekar

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Context: Based on Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS, head injury can be classified as minor (GCS 13–15, moderate (GCS 9–12, and severe (GCS 3–8. There is a lot of controversy in the use of computed tomography (CT in head injury patients. Aims: This study was intended to estimate the rate of CT positivity in head injury patients and to define the criteria for doing CT in head injury patients. Settings and Design: This was a prospective observational study in the emergency department (ED over a 12-month period. Subjects and Methods: Study involved all head injury patients attending ED. Risk factors studied were a loss of consciousness (LOC, vomiting, seizures, ear bleed, nosebleed, external injuries, and alcohol intoxication. Statistical Analysis Used: Comparison of CT positivity with the patient's demographics and clinical characteristics was carried out using Chi-square. Results: A total of 1782 patients were included in this study. Overall CT positivity was 50.9%. In minor head injury (MHI, CT positivity rate was 38%. The study showed significant association of CT positivity with five variables: LOC >5 min, vomiting, seizures, ear bleed, and nosebleed. Conclusions: From the study, we recommend following: CT is indicated in all patients with moderate and severe head injury (GCS ≤12. Low threshold for taking CT is advisable in elderly and alcohol-intoxicated patients. In MHI, CT is indicated if any one of the following risk factors are present: LOC >5 min, history of vomiting, history of seizures, history of ear bleed, and history of nosebleed.

Head ballistocardiogram based on wireless multi-location sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Onizuka, Kohei; Sodini, Charles G

2015-08-01

Recently a wearable BCG monitoring technique based on an accelerometer worn at the ear was demonstrated to replace a conventional bulky BCG acquisition system. In this work, a multi-location wireless vital signs monitor was developed, and at least two common acceleration vectors correlating to sitting-BCG were found in the supine position by using head PPG signal as a reference for eight healthy human subjects. The head side amplitude in the supine position is roughly proportional to the sitting amplitude that is in turn proportional to the stroke volume. Signal processing techniques to identify J-waves in a subject having small amplitude was also developed based on the two common vectors at the head side and top.

Global visibility for global health: Is it time for a new descriptor in Medical Subject Heading (MeSH of MEDLINE/PubMed?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Marušic´

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Despite a large body of research in global health (almost 9000 articles published in PubMed until 2012, the term “global health” is not included in the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH of the NLM – its controlled vocabulary thesaurus which NLM uses to index articles in MEDL INE. There are only 6 journals currently covered by PubMed which specialize in global health, including Journal of Global Health.

Validation of the total dysphagia risk score (TDRS) in head and neck cancer patients in a conventional and a partially accelerated radiotherapy scheme

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nevens, Daan; Deschuymer, Sarah; Langendijk, Johannes A.; Daisne, Jean -Francois; Duprez, Frederic; De Neve, Wilfried; Nuyts, Sandra

Background and purpose: A risk model, the total dysphagia risk score (TDRS), was developed to predict which patients are most at risk to develop grade >= 2 dysphagia at 6 months following radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer. The purpose of this study was to validate this model at 6 months and

The Role of Intuition in Risk/Benefit Decision-Making in Human Subjects Research.

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Resnik, David B

2017-01-01

One of the key principles of ethical research involving human subjects is that the risks of research to should be acceptable in relation to expected benefits. Institutional review board (IRB) members often rely on intuition to make risk/benefit decisions concerning proposed human studies. Some have objected to using intuition to make these decisions because intuition is unreliable and biased and lacks transparency. In this article, I examine the role of intuition in IRB risk/benefit decision-making and argue that there are practical and philosophical limits to our ability to reduce our reliance on intuition in this process. The fact that IRB risk/benefit decision-making involves intuition need not imply that it is hopelessly subjective or biased, however, since there are strategies that IRBs can employ to improve their decisions, such as using empirical data to estimate the probability of potential harms and benefits, developing classification systems to guide the evaluation of harms and benefits, and engaging in moral reasoning concerning the acceptability of risks.

Cigarette smoking prior to first cancer and risk of second smoking-associated cancers among survivors of bladder, kidney, head and neck, and stage I lung cancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiels, Meredith S; Gibson, Todd; Sampson, Joshua; Albanes, Demetrius; Andreotti, Gabriella; Beane Freeman, Laura; Berrington de Gonzalez, Amy; Caporaso, Neil; Curtis, Rochelle E; Elena, Joanne; Freedman, Neal D; Robien, Kim; Black, Amanda; Morton, Lindsay M

2014-12-10

Data on smoking and second cancer risk among cancer survivors are limited. We assessed associations between smoking before first cancer diagnosis and risk of second primary smoking-associated cancers among survivors of lung (stage I), bladder, kidney, and head/neck cancers. Data were pooled from 2,552 patients with stage I lung cancer, 6,386 with bladder cancer, 3,179 with kidney cancer, and 2,967 with head/neck cancer from five cohort studies. We assessed the association between prediagnostic smoking and second smoking-associated cancer risk with proportional hazards regression, and compared these estimates to those for first smoking-associated cancers in all cohort participants. Compared with never smoking, current smoking of ≥ 20 cigarettes per day was associated with increased second smoking-associated cancer risk among survivors of stage I lung (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.26; 95% CI, 0.92 to 11.6), bladder (HR = 3.67; 95% CI, 2.25 to 5.99), head/neck (HR = 4.45; 95% CI, 2.56 to 7.73), and kidney cancers (HR = 5.33; 95% CI, 2.55 to 11.1). These estimates were similar to those for first smoking-associated cancer among all cohort participants (HR = 5.41; 95% CI, 5.23 to 5.61). The 5-year cumulative incidence of second smoking-associated cancers ranged from 3% to 8% in this group of cancer survivors. Understanding risk factors for second cancers among cancer survivors is crucial. Our data indicate that cigarette smoking before first cancer diagnosis increases second cancer risk among cancer survivors, and elevated cancer risk in these survivors is likely due to increased smoking prevalence. The high 5-year cumulative risks of smoking-associated cancers among current smoking survivors of stage I lung, bladder, kidney, and head/neck cancers highlight the importance of smoking cessation in patients with cancer. © 2014 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

HPV and high-risk gene expression profiles predict response to chemoradiotherapy in head and neck cancer, independent of clinical factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jong, Monique C. de; Pramana, Jimmy; Knegjens, Joost L.; Balm, Alfons J.M.; Brekel, Michiel W.M. van den; Hauptmann, Michael; Begg, Adrian C.; Rasch, Coen R.N.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to combine gene expression profiles and clinical factors to provide a better prediction model of local control after chemoradiotherapy for advanced head and neck cancer. Material and methods: Gene expression data were available for a series of 92 advanced stage head and neck cancer patients treated with primary chemoradiotherapy. The effect of the Chung high-risk and Slebos HPV expression profiles on local control was analyzed in a model with age at diagnosis, gender, tumor site, tumor volume, T-stage and N-stage and HPV profile status. Results: Among 75 patients included in the study, the only factors significantly predicting local control were tumor site (oral cavity vs. Pharynx, hazard ratio 4.2 [95% CI 1.4-12.5]), Chung gene expression status (high vs. Low risk profile, hazard ratio 4.4 [95% CI 1.5-13.3]) and HPV profile (negative vs. Positive profile, hazard ratio 6.2 [95% CI 1.7-22.5]). Conclusions: Chung high-risk expression profile and a negative HPV expression profile were significantly associated with increased risk of local recurrence after chemoradiotherapy in advanced pharynx and oral cavity tumors, independent of clinical factors.

Elastic plastic buckling of elliptical vessel heads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alix, M.; Roche, R.L.

1981-08-01

The risks of buckling of dished vessel head increase when the vessel is thin walled. This paper gives the last results on experimental tests of 3 elliptical heads and compares all the results with some empirical formula dealing with elastic and plastic buckling

The comparison of 5-field conformal radiotherapy techniques for the treatment of prostate cancer: The best for femoral head sparing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zare, Mahkameh; Lashkari, Marzieh; Ghalehtaki, Reza; Ghasemi, Arash; Dehghan Manshadi, Hamidreza; Mir, Ali; Noorollahi, Somayeh; Alamolhoda, Mahboobeh

2016-01-01

External radiotherapy is a standard treatment procedure for localized prostate cancer. Given the relatively high long term survival treatment complications have been brought in center of attention. In this planning study, between 2012 and 2014, CT simulation data of 90 consecutive high-risk prostate cancer patients were collected. In the first phase, all were planned for whole pelvis irradiation up to 46Gy in 23 daily fractions. In the second phase, only the prostate gland was the target of radiation. Next, the subjects were divided randomly into three groups and each received a unique 5field conformal radiation plan including Plan A (Gantry angle: 0, 60, 120, 240, and 300), Plan B (Gantry angles: 0, 90, 120, 240, and 270) and Plan C (Gantry angles: 0, 60, 90, 270, and 300). The total dose was 70Gy. For each patient, the rectum, bladder, and both femoral heads were contoured as the at risk organs (OAR). From dose volume histograms, the proportional dose of PTV V100, the bladder and rectum V80 and V90 and femoral head V50 and V100 were calculated in all subjects and compared across plans. A statistically significant difference in the femoral head V50 and V100 was found between our studied 5field plans so that in Plan A (beam angles: 0, 60, 120, 240 and 300) less dose was received by both heads of femur. This study suggests that 5 field treatment planning including an anterior, two anterior oblique and two posterior oblique portals to be more proper for 3D conformal radiotherapy in order to spare femoral head with acceptable PTV coverage, and bladder and rectal doses.

Characterizing occipital condyle loads under high-speed head rotation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pintar, Frank A; Yoganandan, Narayan; Baisden, Jamie

2005-11-01

Because of the need to evaluate anthropomorphic test device (ATD) biofidelity under high-head angular accelerations, the purpose of the present investigation was to develop appropriate instrumentation for intact post mortem human subject (PMHS) testing, validate the instrumentation, and obtain information to characterize the response of the head-neck complex under this loading scenario. A series of rigid-arm pendulum, inertially loaded ATD tests was conducted. Head and neck ATD hydraulic piston chin pull tests were conducted. Subsequently, a series of PMHS tests was conducted to derive the response of the human head-neck under high-rate chin loading. Finally, Hybrid III and THOR-NT ATD head-neck systems were evaluated under the same scenario as the PMHS. A parametric analysis for center of gravity (CG) location and accelerometer orientation determined that even small errors (+/- 3 mm or 2 degrees), produced errors in the force and moment calculations by as much as 17 %. If the moment of inertia (MOI) term was varied by 5 %, resulting moment calculations were affected by as much as 8 %. If the 5 % error in MOI was used to compute occipital condyle moments, and results compared to upper load cell derived moments, peaks differed by as much as 24 %. The head CG and mass MOI should be directly measured for each preparation to obtain accurate results. The injury run on each specimen resulted in predominantly C1-C2 separations or partial separations. The 50(th) percentile probability of AIS=2+ neck injury using tensile force was about 2400 N; for AIS=3+ neck injury the 50(th) percentile risk was about 3180 N. When inserting extension moment as the criteria, the 50(th) percentile probability of an AIS=2+ injury was 51 Nm. The AIS=3+ extension moment at the 50(th) percentile probability was 75 Nm. The new THOR-NT ATD head-neck produced more biofidelic responses with an alternate head-neck junction design compared to the Hybrid III ATD.

Decreased Risk of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck in Users of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neda Ahmadi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available We evaluated the chemopreventive effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID use in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC by conducting a case-control study based on the administration of a standardized questionnaire to 71 incident HNSCC cases and same number of healthy controls. NSAID use was associated with a 75% reduction in risk of developing HNSCC. A significant risk reduction was noted in association with frequency of NSAID use. Restricting the analysis to aspirin users revealed a significant 90% reduction in risk of developing HNSCC. This study provides evidence for a significant reduction in the risk of developing HNSCC in users of NSAIDs, and specifically aspirin users.

"Risky" Subjects: Theorizing Migration as Risk and Implications for Newcomers in Schools and Societies

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Rodriguez, Sophia

2018-01-01

This article theorizes migration as risk, drawing on Biesta's notion of risk. The author explores how productive risk connects with emancipation, seeing the risky migrant subjects in societies in new ways, rather than positioning them as marginalized threats. Finally, the author connects the theory of migration as risk to current qualitative data…

Risk, Outcomes, and Costs of Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis Among Patients With Head-and-Neck Malignancies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elting, Linda S.; Cooksley, Catherine D.; Chambers, Mark S.; Garden, Adam S.

2007-01-01

Purpose: To study the risk, outcomes, and costs of radiation-induced oral mucositis (OM) among patients receiving radiotherapy (RT) to head and neck primary cancers. Methods and Materials: A retrospective cohort consisting of 204 consecutive head-and-neck cancer patients who received RT with or without chemotherapy during 2002 was formed; their records were reviewed for clinical and resource use information. Patients who had received prior therapy, had second primary cancers, or received palliative radiation therapy were excluded. The risk of OM was analyzed by multiple variable logistic regression. The cost of care was computed from the provider's perspective in 2006 U.S. dollars and compared among patients with and without OM. Results: Oral mucositis occurred in 91% of patients; in 66% it was severe (Grade 3-4). Oral mucositis was more common among patients with oral cavity or oropharynx primaries (odds ratio [OR], 44.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.2 to >100; p < 0.001), those who received chemotherapy (OR = 7.8; 95% CI, 1.5-41.6; p 0.02), and those who were treated with altered fractionation schedules (OR 6.3; 95% CI, 1.1-35.1; p = 0.03). Patients with OM were significantly more likely to have severe pain (54% vs. 6%; p < 0.001) and a weight loss of ≥5% (60% vs. 17%; p < 0.001). Oral mucositis was associated with an incremental cost of $1700-$6000, depending on the grade. Conclusions: Head-and-neck RT causes OM in virtually all patients. Oral mucositis is associated with severe pain, significant weight loss, increased resource use, and excess cost. Preventive strategies are needed

Genetic risk analysis of coronary artery disease in Pakistani subjects using a genetic risk score of 21 variants.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahid, Saleem Ullah; Shabana; Cooper, Jackie A; Beaney, Katherine E; Li, Kawah; Rehman, Abdul; Humphries, Steve E

2017-03-01

Conventional coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors like age, gender, blood lipids, hypertension and smoking have been the basis of CAD risk prediction algorithms, but provide only modest discrimination. Genetic risk score (GRS) may provide improved discrimination over and above conventional risk factors. Here we analyzed the genetic risk of CAD in subjects from Pakistan, using a GRS of 21 variants in 18 genes and examined whether the GRS is associated with blood lipid levels. 625 (405 cases and 220 controls) subjects were genotyped for variants, NOS3 rs1799983, SMAD3 rs17228212, APOB rs1042031, LPA rs3798220, LPA rs10455872, SORT1 rs646776, APOE rs429358, GLUL rs10911021, FTO rs9939609, MIA3 rs17465637, CDKN2Ars10757274, DAB2IP rs7025486, CXCL12 rs1746048, ACE rs4341, APOA5 rs662799, CETP rs708272, MRAS rs9818870, LPL rs328, LPL rs1801177, PCSK9 rs11591147 and APOE rs7412 by TaqMan and KASPar allele discrimination techniques. Individually, the single SNPs were not associated with CAD except APOB rs1042031 and FTO rs993969 (p = 0.01 and 0.009 respectively). However, the combined GRS of 21 SNPs was significantly higher in cases than controls (19.37 ± 2.56 vs. 18.47 ± 2.45, p = 2.9 × 10 -5 ), and compared to the bottom quintile, CAD risk in the top quintile of the GRS was 2.96 (95% CI 1.71-5.13). Atherogenic blood lipids showed significant positive association with GRS. The GRS was quantitatively associated with CAD risk and showed association with blood lipid levels, suggesting that the mechanism of these variants is likely to be, in part at least, through creating an atherogenic lipid profile in subjects carrying high numbers of risk alleles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Breathing pattern and head posture: changes in craniocervical angles.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabatucci, A; Raffaeli, F; Mastrovincenzo, M; Luchetta, A; Giannone, A; Ciavarella, D

2015-04-01

The aim of this study was to observe the influence of oral breathing on head posture and to establish possible postural changes observing the variation of craniocervical angles NSL/OPT and NSL/CVT between oral breathing subjects and physiological breathing subjects. A cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample included 115 subject, 56 boys and 59 girls, 5-22-year-old. Among these, 80 were classified as oral breathers and 35 as physiological breathers. The diagnosis of oral breathing was carried out thanks to characteristic signs and symptoms evaluated on clinical examination, the analysis of characteristic X-ray images, ENT examination with active anterior rhinomanometric (AAR) test. The structural and postural analysis was carried out, calculating the craniofacial angles NSL/OPT and NSL/CVT. Both NSL/OPT and NSL/CVT appear to be significantly greater to those observed in physiological breathing patients. This means that patients who tend to breathe through the mouth rather than exclusively through the nose show a reduction of cervical lordosis and a proinclination of the head. Our study confirms that the oral breathing modifies head position. The significant increase of the craniocervical angles NSL/OPT and NSL/CVT in patients with this altered breathing pattern suggests an elevation of the head and a greater extension of the head compared with the cervical spine. So, to correct the breathing pattern early, either during childhood or during adolescence, can lead to a progressive normalization of craniofacial morphology and head posture.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TMJ DISORDER AND HEAD AND NECK POSTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sesi R. Puspita Dewi

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Temporomandibular joint disorders may be caused by variety of factors; one of which is the posture of head and neck. However, this remains controversial and a subject of debate by experts. The objective of this study was to know whether there was a relation between temporomandibular disorders and the head and neck posture seen radiographically. Subjects were 40 dental students from University of Indonesia who met the inclusion criteria, selected through questionnaire, and subjective examination based on Helkimo’s dysfunction index. Then, lateral cephalometric radiographs were done to all subjects. In the radiogram, a horizontal line was made from the nasion point to the sella tursica, and a vertical line was drawn along the prominent bone of C1 – C5. The angle between the two lines was measured, and used to represent the head and neck posture. The design of the study was cross sectional. Based on statistical analysis, there was no significant relationship between the anamnestic dysfunction index as well as the clinical dysfunction index that represented the temporomandibular joint disorders and the posture of the head and neck seen radiographically.

Increased risk of traffic accidents in subjects with latent toxoplasmosis: a retrospective case-control study

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Malý Marek

2002-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The parasite Toxoplasma gondii infects 30–60% of humans worldwide. Latent toxoplasmosis, i.e., the life-long presence of Toxoplasma cysts in neural and muscular tissues, leads to prolongation of reaction times in infected subjects. It is not known, however, whether the changes observed in the laboratory influence the performance of subjects in real-life situations. Methods The seroprevalence of latent toxoplasmosis in subjects involved in traffic accidents (N = 146 and in the general population living in the same area (N = 446 was compared by a Mantel-Haenszel test for age-stratified data. Correlation between relative risk of traffic accidents and level of anti-Toxoplasma antibody titre was evaluated with the Cochran-Armitage test for trends. Results A higher seroprevalence was found in the traffic accident set than in the general population (Chi2MH = 21.45, p 95= 1.76–4.01 times higher risk of an accident than the toxoplasmosis-negative subjects. The OR significantly increased with level of anti-Toxoplasma antibody titre (p 95 = 1.14–3.03 for the 99 subjects with low antibody titres (8 and 16, higher (OR = 4.78, C.I.95 = 2.39–9.59 for the 37 subjects with moderate titres (32 and 64, and very high (OR = 16.03, C.I.95 = 1.89–135.66 for the 6 subjects with titres higher than 64. Conclusion The subjects with latent toxoplasmosis have significantly increased risk of traffic accidents than the noninfected subjects. Relative risk of traffic accidents decreases with the duration of infection. These results suggest that 'asymptomatic' acquired toxoplasmosis might in fact represent a serious and highly underestimated public health problem, as well as an economic problem.

Equivalent dose, effective dose and risk assessment from panoramic radiography to the critical organs of head and neck region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Bong Hae; Nah, Kyung Soo; Lee, Ae Ryeon

1995-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the equivalent and effective dose, and estimate radiation risk to the critical organs of head and neck region from the use of adult and child mode in panoramic radiography. The results were as follows. 1. The salivary glands showed the highest equivalent and effective dose in adult and child mode. The equivalent and effective dose in adult mode were 837 μSv and 20.93 μSv, those in child mode were 462 μSv and 11.54 μSv, respectively. 2. Total effective doses to the critical head and neck organs were estimated 34.2l μSv in adult mode, 20.14 μSv in child mode. From these data, the probabilities of stochastic effect from adult and child mode were 2.50xl0 -6 and 1.47x10 -6 3. The other remainder showed the greatest risk of fatal cancer. The risk estimate were 4.5 and 2.7 fatal malignancies in adult and child mode from million examinations. The bone marrow and thyroid gland showed about 0.1 fatal cancer in adult. and child mode from these examinations.

Estimating and explaining the effect of education and income on head and neck cancer risk: INHANCE consortium pooled analysis of 31 case-control studies from 27 countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Conway, David I; Brenner, Darren R; McMahon, Alex D; Macpherson, Lorna M D; Agudo, Antonio; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Bosetti, Cristina; Brenner, Hermann; Castellsague, Xavier; Chen, Chu; Curado, Maria Paula; Curioni, Otávio A; Dal Maso, Luigino; Daudt, Alexander W; de Gois Filho, José F; D'Souza, Gypsyamber; Edefonti, Valeria; Fabianova, Eleonora; Fernandez, Leticia; Franceschi, Silvia; Gillison, Maura; Hayes, Richard B; Healy, Claire M; Herrero, Rolando; Holcatova, Ivana; Jayaprakash, Vijayvel; Kelsey, Karl; Kjaerheim, Kristina; Koifman, Sergio; La Vecchia, Carlo; Lagiou, Pagona; Lazarus, Philip; Levi, Fabio; Lissowska, Jolanta; Luce, Daniele; Macfarlane, Tatiana V; Mates, Dana; Matos, Elena; McClean, Michael; Menezes, Ana M; Menvielle, Gwenn; Merletti, Franco; Morgenstern, Hal; Moysich, Kirsten; Müller, Heiko; Muscat, Joshua; Olshan, Andrew F; Purdue, Mark P; Ramroth, Heribert; Richiardi, Lorenzo; Rudnai, Peter; Schantz, Stimson; Schwartz, Stephen M; Shangina, Oxana; Simonato, Lorenzo; Smith, Elaine; Stucker, Isabelle; Sturgis, Erich M; Szeszenia-Dabrowska, Neonila; Talamini, Renato; Thomson, Peter; Vaughan, Thomas L; Wei, Qingyi; Winn, Deborah M; Wunsch-Filho, Victor; Yu, Guo-Pei; Zhang, Zuo-Feng; Zheng, Tongzhang; Znaor, Ariana; Boffetta, Paolo; Chuang, Shu-Chun; Ghodrat, Marianoosh; Amy Lee, Yuan-Chin; Hashibe, Mia; Brennan, Paul

2015-03-01

Low socioeconomic status has been reported to be associated with head and neck cancer risk. However, previous studies have been too small to examine the associations by cancer subsite, age, sex, global region and calendar time and to explain the association in terms of behavioral risk factors. Individual participant data of 23,964 cases with head and neck cancer and 31,954 controls from 31 studies in 27 countries pooled with random effects models. Overall, low education was associated with an increased risk of head and neck cancer (OR = 2.50; 95% CI = 2.02 - 3.09). Overall one-third of the increased risk was not explained by differences in the distribution of cigarette smoking and alcohol behaviors; and it remained elevated among never users of tobacco and nondrinkers (OR = 1.61; 95% CI = 1.13 - 2.31). More of the estimated education effect was not explained by cigarette smoking and alcohol behaviors: in women than in men, in older than younger groups, in the oropharynx than in other sites, in South/Central America than in Europe/North America and was strongest in countries with greater income inequality. Similar findings were observed for the estimated effect of low versus high household income. The lowest levels of income and educational attainment were associated with more than 2-fold increased risk of head and neck cancer, which is not entirely explained by differences in the distributions of behavioral risk factors for these cancers and which varies across cancer sites, sexes, countries and country income inequality levels. © 2014 UICC.

Survey of keyword adjustment of published articles medical subject headings in journal of mazandaran university of medical sciences (2009-2010).

Science.gov (United States)

Kabirzadeh, Azar; Siamian, Hasan; Abadi, Ebrahim Bagherian Farah; Saravi, Benyamin Mohseni

2013-01-01

NONE DECLARED. Keywords are the most important tools for Information retrieval. They are usually used for retrieval of articles based on contents of information reserved from printed and electronic resources. Retrieval of appropriate keywords from Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) can impact with exact, correctness and short time on information retrieval. Regarding the above mentioned matters, this study was done to compare the Latin keywords was in the articles published in the Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. This is a descriptive study. The data were extracted from the key words of Englsih abstracts of articles published in the years 2009-2010 in the Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences by census method. Checklist of data collection is designed, based on research objectives and literature review which has face validity. Compliance rate in this study was to determine if the keywords cited in this article as a full subject of the main subject headings in a MeSH (Bold and the selected word) is a perfect adjustment. If keywords were cited in the article but the main heading is not discussed in the following main topics to be discussed with reference to See and See related it has considered has partial adjustment. Out of 148 articles published in 12 issues in proposed time of studying, 72 research papers were analyzed. The average numbers of authors in each article were 4 ± 1. Results showed that most of specialty papers 42 (58. 4%), belonging to the (Department of Clinical Sciences) School of Medicine, 11 (15.3%) Basic Science, 6(8.4%) Pharmacy, Nursing and Midwifery 5(6.9%), 4(5.5%) Health, paramedical Sciences 3(4.2%), and non medical article 1(1.3%) school of medicine. In general, results showed that 80 (30%) of key words have been used to complete the adjustment. Also, only 1(1.4%) had complete adjustment with all the MeSH key words and in 8 articles(11.4%) key words of had no adjustment with MeSH. The results showed that only

Public perceptions of energy system risks: some policy implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, K.; Otway, H.J.

1980-01-01

The subject is discussed under the headings: introduction; perceptions, beliefs and attitudes; the survey of public perceptions and attitudes towards energy systems; attitudes towards the five energy systems (nuclear, coal, oil, solar and hydro); perceptions of energy systems - the underlying dimensions of belief (economic benefits; environmental risk; psychological and physical risk; indirect risk; technology development); differential analysis of the perceptions of those pro and con nuclear energy; summary of perceptions of energy systems - relevance to the Austrian dilemma; policy implications. (U.K.)

Impact of subject head motion on quantitative brain 15O PET and its correction by image-based registration algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsubara, Keisuke; Ibaraki, Masanobu; Nakamura, Kazuhiro; Yamaguchi, Hiroshi; Umetsu, Atsushi; Kinoshita, Fumiko; Kinoshita, Toshibumi

2013-01-01

Subject head motion during sequential 15 O positron emission tomography (PET) scans can result in artifacts in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygen metabolism maps. However, to our knowledge, there are no systematic studies examining this issue. Herein, we investigated the effect of head motion on quantification of CBF and oxygen metabolism, and proposed an image-based motion correction method dedicated to 15 O PET study, correcting for transmission-emission mismatch and inter-scan mismatch of emission scans. We analyzed 15 O PET data for patients with major arterial steno-occlusive disease (n=130) to determine the occurrence frequency of head motion during 15 O PET examination. Image-based motion correction without and with realignment between transmission and emission scans, termed simple and 2-step method, respectively, was applied to the cases that showed severe inter-scan motion. Severe inter-scan motion (>3 mm translation or >5deg rotation) was observed in 27 of 520 adjacent scan pairs (5.2%). In these cases, unrealistic values of oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) or cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) were observed without motion correction. Motion correction eliminated these artifacts. The volume-of-interest (VOI) analysis demonstrated that the motion correction changed the OEF on the middle cerebral artery territory by 17.3% at maximum. The inter-scan motion also affected cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral metabolism rate of oxygen (CMRO 2 ) and CBF, which were improved by the motion correction. A difference of VOI values between the simple and 2-step method was also observed. These data suggest that image-based motion correction is useful for accurate measurement of CBF and oxygen metabolism by 15 O PET. (author)

Assessing doses of radiotherapy with the risk of developing cancer in the head and neck

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Cheng-Ching; Hsu, Fang-Yuh; Yu, Wan-Hsuan; Liu, Mu-Tai; Huang, Sheng-Shien

2011-01-01

Radiation is known to be a major cause of cancer in normal tissue. After treatment with radiotherapy, for young patients or the patients can survive for a long time, the radiation-induced cancer risk is noteworthy. This research investigated the dose delivered by the treatment of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer, such as NPC and oral cancer, and assessed the risk of developing radiation-induced secondary cancer in non-targeted normal tissues. A Rando phantom was used to simulate a patient with NPC or oral cancer, and thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) chips were placed inside the phantom to estimate the doses delivered by IMRT. In summary, the risks to patients with NPC was somewhat higher than for those with oral cancer, because the region of the PTV was lower, requiring larger field sizes be used for cases of NPC. The smaller the field size used, the less the risk was of developing secondary cancer. In addition, the higher the value of MU used, the higher the dose delivered to normal tissues was. The risk of radiation-induced secondary cancer was proportional to the delivered dose.

What's the risk? Identifying potential human pathogens within grey-headed flying foxes faeces.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebekah Henry

Full Text Available Pteropus poliocephalus (grey-headed flying foxes are recognised vectors for a range of potentially fatal human pathogens. However, to date research has primarily focused on viral disease carriage, overlooking bacterial pathogens, which also represent a significant human disease risk. The current study applied 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, community analysis and a multi-tiered database OTU picking approach to identify faecal-derived zoonotic bacteria within two colonies of P. poliocephalus from Victoria, Australia. Our data show that sequences associated with Enterobacteriaceae (62.8% ± 24.7%, Pasteurellaceae (19.9% ± 25.7% and Moraxellaceae (9.4% ± 11.8% dominate flying fox faeces. Further colony specific differences in bacterial faecal colonisation patterns were also identified. In total, 34 potential pathogens, representing 15 genera, were identified. However, species level definition was only possible for Clostridium perfringens, which likely represents a low infectious risk due to the low proportion observed within the faeces and high infectious dose required for transmission. In contrast, sequences associated with other pathogenic species clusters such as Haemophilus haemolyticus-H. influenzae and Salmonella bongori-S. enterica, were present at high proportions in the faeces, and due to their relatively low infectious doses and modes of transmissions, represent a greater potential human disease risk. These analyses of the microbial community composition of Pteropus poliocephalus have significantly advanced our understanding of the potential bacterial disease risk associated with flying foxes and should direct future epidemiological and quantitative microbial risk assessments to further define the health risks presented by these animals.

Morphometric findings in avascular necrosis of the femoral head.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamal, Diana; Trăistaru, Rodica; Alexandru, D O; Kamal, C K; Pirici, D; Pop, O T; Mălăescu, D Gh

2012-01-01

Avascular necrosis of the femoral head is an illness with a controversial etiology, the trigger event being the suppression of blood flow to the femoral head. The disease affects mostly young adults within their third and fifth decade, the majority of the patients being men. The main risk factors are trauma, chronic alcohol consumption, smoking, corticotherapy. The main goal of our study is to describe the morphometric changes found in the bone tissue of patients diagnosed with avascular necrosis of the femoral head, with different risk factors, by comparing the area of bone trabeculae inside the area of necrosis with that from the adjacent viable tissue. The morphometric study used biological material from 16 patients with ages between 29 and 57 years, who underwent surgery for avascular necrosis of the femoral head. They were admitted in the Orthopedics Department at the Emergency County Hospital in Craiova between 2010 and 2011 and were split into four groups. Group I presented trauma as the main risk factor, Group II had corticotherapy as the defining risk factor, Group III presented chronic alcohol consumption and Group IV was represented by the patients who smoked and exhibited chronic alcohol consumption. There was not a significant statistical difference between the areas of bone trabeculae of the four groups when we compared viable bone tissue to the necrotized one. Knowing the risk factors of the avascular necrosis of the femoral head is critical to the management of the disease, because diagnosing it in an early stage is a necessity for obtaining a good result for conservative treatment.

20-Year Subject and Author Index, Volume 1, 1997-Volume 20, 1996; Subject and Author Index, Volume 21, 1997.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiler, Robert M.; Pealer, Lisa N.

1997-01-01

This index provides readers interested in health behavior, health education, and health promotion ordered access to materials published in Health Values and the American Journal of Health Behavior, 1977-1997. The index includes 115 subject headings and 5 department headings, classifying 918 entries by 1,319 authors and coauthors. (SM)

Rotational Acceleration during Head Impact Resulting from Different Judo Throwing Techniques

OpenAIRE

MURAYAMA, Haruo; HITOSUGI, Masahito; MOTOZAWA, Yasuki; OGINO, Masahiro; KOYAMA, Katsuhiro

2014-01-01

Most severe head injuries in judo are reported as acute subdural hematoma. It is thus necessary to examine the rotational acceleration of the head to clarify the mechanism of head injuries. We determined the rotational acceleration of the head when the subject is thrown by judo techniques. One Japanese male judo expert threw an anthropomorphic test device using two throwing techniques, Osoto-gari and Ouchigari. Rotational and translational head accelerations were measured with and without an ...

'Goats that stare at men': dwarf goats alter their behaviour in response to human head orientation, but do not spontaneously use head direction as a cue in a food-related context.

Science.gov (United States)

Nawroth, Christian; von Borell, Eberhard; Langbein, Jan

2015-01-01

Recently, comparative research on the mechanisms and species-specific adaptive values of attributing attentive states and using communicative cues has gained increased interest, particularly in non-human primates, birds, and dogs. Here, we investigate these phenomena in a farm animal species, the dwarf goat (Capra aegagrus hircus). In the first experiment, we investigated the effects of different human head and body orientations, as well as human experimenter presence/absence, on the behaviour of goats in a food-anticipating paradigm. Over a 30-s interval, the experimenter engaged in one of four different postures or behaviours (head and body towards the subject-'Control', head to the side, head and body away from the subject, or leaving the room) before delivering a reward. We found that the level of subjects' active anticipatory behaviour was highest in the control condition and decreased with a decreasing level of attention paid to the subject by the experimenter. Additionally, goats 'stared' (i.e. stood alert) at the experimental set-up for significantly more time when the experimenter was present but paid less attention to the subject ('Head' and 'Back' condition) than in the 'Control' and 'Out' conditions. In a second experiment, the experimenter provided different human-given cues that indicated the location of a hidden food reward in a two-way object choice task. Goats were able to use both 'Touch' and 'Point' cues to infer the correct location of the reward but did not perform above the level expected by chance in the 'Head only' condition. We conclude that goats are able to differentiate among different body postures of a human, including head orientation; however, despite their success at using multiple physical human cues, they fail to spontaneously use human head direction as a cue in a food-related context.

Perceived risk: rationality, uncertainty and scepticism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, C.H.

1981-01-01

The subject is discussed under the headings: introduction; measuring what (deciding which outcomes are to be considered; personal safety, threat to health and safety (threat to society, threat to health)); accuracy of beliefs (distinction between immediate-in-effect hazards and delayed-in-effect hazards); the context of beliefs about risk (evolution of beliefs, changes in beliefs). Some references are made to nuclear power. (U.K.)

Eye lens radiation exposure and repeated head CT scans: A problem to keep in mind

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michel, Morgane; Jacob, Sophie; Roger, Gilles; Pelosse, Béatrice; Laurier, Dominique; Le Pointe, Hubert Ducou; Bernier, Marie-Odile

2012-01-01

Objectives: The deterministic character of radiation-induced cataract is being called into question, raising the possibility of a risk in patients, especially children, exposed to ionizing radiation in case of repeated head CT-scans. This study aims to estimate the eye lens doses of a pediatric population exposed to repeated head CTs and to assess the feasibility of an epidemiological study. Methods: Children treated for a cholesteatoma, who had had at least one CT-scan of the middle ear before their tenth birthday, were included. Radiation exposure has been assessed from medical records and telephone interviews. Results: Out of the 39 subjects contacted, 32 accepted to participate. A total of 76 CT-scans were retrieved from medical records. At the time of the interview (mean age: 16 years), the mean number of CT per child was 3. Cumulative mean effective and eye lens doses were 1.7 mSv and 168 mGy, respectively. Conclusion: A relatively high lens radiation dose was observed in children exposed to repeated CT-scans. Due to that exposure and despite the difficulties met when trying to reach patients’ families, a large scale epidemiological study should be performed in order to assess the risk of radiation-induced cataracts associated with repeated head CT.

Head injuries (TBI) to adults and children in motor vehicle crashes.

Science.gov (United States)

Viano, David C; Parenteau, Chantal S; Xu, Likang; Faul, Mark

2017-08-18

This is a descriptive study. It determined the annual, national incidence of head injuries (traumatic brain injury, TBI) to adults and children in motor vehicle crashes. It evaluated NASS-CDS for exposure and incidence of various head injuries in towaway crashes. It evaluated 3 health databases for emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths due to TBI in motor vehicle occupants. Four databases were evaluated using 1997-2010 data on adult (15+ years old) and child (0-14 years old) occupants in motor vehicle crashes: (1) NASS-CDS estimated the annual incidence of various head injuries and outcomes in towaway crashes, (2) National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS)-estimated ED visits for TBI, (3) National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) estimated hospitalizations for TBI, and (4) National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) estimated TBI deaths. The 4 databases provide annual national totals for TBI related injury and death in motor vehicle crashes based on differing definitions with TBI coded by the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) in NASS-CDS and by International Classification of Diseases (ICD) in the health data. Adults: NASS-CDS had 16,980 ± 2,411 (risk = 0.43 ± 0.06%) with severe head injury (AIS 4+) out of 3,930,543 exposed adults in towaway crashes annually. There were 49,881 ± 9,729 (risk = 1.27 ± 0.25%) hospitalized with AIS 2+ head injury, without death. There were 6,753 ± 882 (risk = 0.17 ± 0.02%) fatalities with a head injury cause. The public health data had 89,331 ± 6,870 ED visits, 33,598 ± 1,052 hospitalizations, and 6,682 ± 22 deaths with TBI. NASS-CDS estimated 48% more hospitalized with AIS 2+ head injury without death than NHDS occupants hospitalized with TBI. NASS-CDS estimated 29% more deaths with AIS 3+ head injury than NVSS occupant TBI deaths but only 1% more deaths with a head injury cause. Children: NASS-CDS had 1,453 ± 318 (risk = 0.32 ± 0.07%) with severe head injury (AIS 4+) out of 454,973 exposed

Femoral head shape differences during development may identify hips at risk of degeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanden Berg-Foels, Wendy S; Schwager, Steven J; Todhunter, Rory J; Reeves, Anthony P

2011-12-01

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a common cause of elevated contact stress and early onset osteoarthritis (OA). We hypothesized that adaptation to focal loading during postnatal development would result in signature changes to the shape of the femoral head secondary center of ossification (SCO). SCO shape was evaluated in a canine model of DDH at ages 14 and 32 weeks. The evolving 3D morphology of the SCO was captured using serial quantitative computed tomography. A discrete medial representation shape model was fit to each SCO and served as the basis for quantitative thickness and bending measurements. Shape measurements were tested for associations with hip subluxation and degeneration. At 32 weeks, the SCO was thinner (flatter) in the perifoveal region, the site of focal loading; a greater bend to the SCO was present lateral to the site of thinning; SCO thinning and bending were associated with less femoral head coverage and with a higher probability of degeneration. Shape changes were not detected at 14 weeks. Measurement and visualization of SCO shape changes due to altered loading may provide a basis for identifying hips at risk of early onset OA and a tool for surgical planning of hip restructuring.

Nintendo Wii remote controllers for head posture measurement: accuracy, validity, and reliability of the infrared optical head tracker.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jongshin; Nam, Kyoung Won; Jang, Ik Gyu; Yang, Hee Kyung; Kim, Kwang Gi; Hwang, Jeong-Min

2012-03-15

To evaluate the accuracy, validity, and reliability of a newly developed infrared optical head tracker (IOHT) using Nintendo Wii remote controllers (WiiMote; Nintendo Co. Ltd., Kyoto, Japan) for measurement of the angle of head posture. The IOHT consists of two infrared (IR) receivers (WiiMote) that are fixed to a mechanical frame and connected to a monitoring computer via a Bluetooth communication channel and an IR beacon that consists of four IR light-emitting diodes (LEDs). With the use of the Cervical Range of Motion (CROM; Performance Attainment Associates, St. Paul, MN) as a reference, one- and three-dimensional (1- and 3-D) head postures of 20 normal adult subjects (20-37 years of age; 9 women and 11 men) were recorded with the IOHT. In comparison with the data from the CROM, the IOHT-derived results showed high consistency. The measurements of 1- and 3-D positions of the human head with the IOHT were very close to those of the CROM. The correlation coefficients of 1- and 3-D positions between the IOHT and the CROM were more than 0.99 and 0.96 (P < 0.05, Pearson's correlation test), respectively. Reliability tests of the IOHT for the normal adult subjects for 1- and 3-D positions of the human head had 95% limits of agreement angles of approximately ±4.5° and ±8.0°, respectively. The IOHT showed strong concordance with the CROM and relatively good test-retest reliability, thus proving its validity and reliability as a head-posture-measuring device. Considering its high performance, ease of use, and low cost, the IOHT has the potential to be widely used as a head-posture-measuring device in clinical practice.

Risk factors for thirty-day readmission following flap reconstruction of oncologic defects of the head and neck.

Science.gov (United States)

Osborn, Heather A; Rathi, Vinay K; Tjoa, Tjoson; Goyal, Neerav; Yarlagadda, Bharat B; Rich, Debbie L; Emerick, Kevin S; Lin, Derrick T; Deschler, Daniel G; Durand, Marlene L

2018-02-01

Unplanned 30-day readmission rate following hospital discharge is an important metric of healthcare quality. This study sought to characterize the rate, risk factors, and common causes of readmission in head and neck cancer patients following free or pedicled flap reconstruction. Retrospective cohort study. Charts were reviewed of all patients who underwent free or pedicled flap reconstruction following resection of head and neck cancer at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary 2009 to 2014. Readmission risk factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. Of 682 patients with free (76%) or pedicled flap reconstruction, 135 patients (19.8%) were readmitted. Factors not associated with readmission included age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, operative time, prior radiation therapy, primary cancer site, and free (vs. pedicled) flap type. Significant readmission risk factors included surgical site infections (SSI) (45.2% vs. 9.9%), use of hardware (18.5% vs. 11.3%), and clean-contaminated or contaminated surgery (15.2% vs. clean 8.2%). Surgical site infections (P readmission on multiple regression analysis. Primary reasons for readmission included wound complications (61.5%) and supportive care (15.6%). The median time to readmission was 8 days, and 41% of readmissions occurred within 1 week. Seventy percent of readmissions occurred within 2 weeks, including 77% of readmissions for SSIs and 86% for supportive care. Readmissions occurred in nearly one-fifth of patients following flap surgery. SSIs and use of hardware were risk factors, whereas wound complications were the most common cause of readmission. 4. Laryngoscope, 128:343-349, 2018. © 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Evolution of Subjective Hurricane Risk Perceptions: A Bayesian Approach

OpenAIRE

David Kelly; David Letson; Forest Nelson; David S. Nolan; Daniel Solis

2009-01-01

This paper studies how individuals update subjective risk perceptions in response to hurricane track forecast information, using a unique data set from an event market, the Hurricane Futures Market (HFM). We derive a theoretical Bayesian framework which predicts how traders update their perceptions of the probability of a hurricane making landfall in a certain range of coastline. Our results suggest that traders behave in a way consistent with Bayesian updating but this behavior is based on t...

Longitudinal Study of Hypertensive Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Overall and Cardiovascular Risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Safar, Michel E; Gnakaméné, Jean-Barthélémy; Bahous, Sola Aoun; Yannoutsos, Alexandra; Thomas, Frédérique

2017-06-01

Despite adequate glycemic and blood pressure control, treated type 2 diabetic hypertensive subjects have a significantly elevated overall/cardiovascular risk. We studied 244 816 normotensive and 99 720 hypertensive subjects (including 7480 type 2 diabetics) attending medical checkups between 1992 and 2011. We sought to identify significant differences in overall/cardiovascular risk between hypertension with and without diabetes mellitus. Mean follow-up was 12.7 years; 14 050 all-cause deaths were reported. From normotensive to hypertensive populations, a significant progression in overall/cardiovascular mortality was observed. Mortality was significantly greater among diabetic than nondiabetic hypertensive subjects (all-cause mortality, 14.05% versus 7.43%; and cardiovascular mortality, 1.28% versus 0.7%). No interaction was observed between hemodynamic measurements and overall/cardiovascular risk, suggesting that blood pressure factors, even during drug therapy, could not explain the differences in mortality rates between diabetic and nondiabetic hypertensive patients. Using cross-sectional regression models, a significant association was observed between higher education levels, lower levels of anxiety and depression, and reduced overall mortality in diabetic hypertensive subjects, while impaired renal function, a history of stroke and myocardial infarction, and increased alcohol and tobacco consumption were significantly associated with increased mortality. Blood pressure and glycemic control alone cannot reverse overall/cardiovascular risk in diabetics with hypertension. Together with cardiovascular measures, overall prevention should include recommendations to reduce alcohol and tobacco consumption and improve stress, education levels, and physical activity. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Stereotactic radiotherapy for head and neck cancers with Micro-Multi-Leaf (m3)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishiyama, Kinji; Koizumi, Masahiko; Nose, Takayuki; Yoshino, Kunitoshi

2000-01-01

Head and neck tumors are located in complicated anatomical structures comprised by critical organs. These tumors were stereotactically treated with Micro-Multi-Leaf (m3 TM ) which can make fields encompassing targets. The subjects were 3 patients with parotid tumors, 3 with maxillary sinus tumors, 2 with nasopharyngeal carcinomas, 2 with oropharyngeal carcinomas, and 1 each with ethmoid sinus, oral cavity, and nasal tumors. The subjects were immobilized with a shell and underwent CT scan of thin slices. Targets and risk organs of orbits, spinal cord, and parotid glands were marked on the CT images. Targets were defined with margins of 3 mm from clinical tumors and were irradiated through 4-7 static non-coplanar portals. Doses of fractionated stereotactic irradiation were 2.5-4 Gy daily and 15-62.5 Gy in total. Peak doses of 102-112% of isocenter dose indicated remarkable flatness of dose distribution. Doses to risk organs of eyeballs, parotid glands, and spinal cord were acceptable. (author)

Prospective subjective evaluation of swallowing function and dietary pattern in head and neck cancers treated with concomitant chemo-radiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agarwal Jaiprakash

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Aim : Prospective subjective evaluation of swallowing function and dietary pattern in locally advanced head and neck cancer patients treated with concomitant chemo-radiotherapy (CRT. Materials and Methods : Prospective evaluation of swallowing function with performance status scale for head and neck cancer patients (PSSHN at pre-CRT, CRT completion and at subsequent follow-ups in adult with loco-regionally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC patients. Results : In 47 patients (40 male, seven females; mean age 53; 72% smoker 53%, oropharyngeal cancer, the mean total PSSHN score at pre-CRT was 258.5 and decreased to 225.2 and 219.2 at two and six months respectively. Understandability of speech, normalcy in diet and eating in public at pre-CRT and six months were 91.5 and 84.4; 80.4 and 63.1; 87.3 and 76.6 respectively. In univariate analysis, pre-CRT PSSHN scores were significantly lesser in patients with severe pre-CRT dysphagia (P = 0.001, hypopharyngeal cancer (P = 0.244 and advanced T-stage (T3/4 disease (P = 0.144. At CRT completion, there was significant reduction of PSSHN scores in patients with severe pre-CRT dysphagia (P = 0.008, post-CRT weight loss (>10% and disease progression (P = 0.039. At two months and six months, 17 (57% and 11 (73.5% patients respectively showed change in dietary habit. Mean increase in meal time was 13% and 21% at two and six-month follow-up. Conclusions : HNSCC patients show deterioration in swallowing function after CRT with normalcy of diet in maximum and eating in public least affected. Pre-CRT severity of dysphagia, weight loss> 10% and disease progression have significant correlation with higher swallowing function deterioration after CRT.

Prediction of skull fracture risk for children 0-9 months old through validated parametric finite element model and cadaver test reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhigang; Liu, Weiguo; Zhang, Jinhuan; Hu, Jingwen

2015-09-01

Skull fracture is one of the most common pediatric traumas. However, injury assessment tools for predicting pediatric skull fracture risk is not well established mainly due to the lack of cadaver tests. Weber conducted 50 pediatric cadaver drop tests for forensic research on child abuse in the mid-1980s (Experimental studies of skull fractures in infants, Z Rechtsmed. 92: 87-94, 1984; Biomechanical fragility of the infant skull, Z Rechtsmed. 94: 93-101, 1985). To our knowledge, these studies contained the largest sample size among pediatric cadaver tests in the literature. However, the lack of injury measurements limited their direct application in investigating pediatric skull fracture risks. In this study, 50 pediatric cadaver tests from Weber's studies were reconstructed using a parametric pediatric head finite element (FE) model which were morphed into subjects with ages, head sizes/shapes, and skull thickness values that reported in the tests. The skull fracture risk curves for infants from 0 to 9 months old were developed based on the model-predicted head injury measures through logistic regression analysis. It was found that the model-predicted stress responses in the skull (maximal von Mises stress, maximal shear stress, and maximal first principal stress) were better predictors than global kinematic-based injury measures (peak head acceleration and head injury criterion (HIC)) in predicting pediatric skull fracture. This study demonstrated the feasibility of using age- and size/shape-appropriate head FE models to predict pediatric head injuries. Such models can account for the morphological variations among the subjects, which cannot be considered by a single FE human model.

The Strauss and Carpenter Prognostic Scale in subjects clinically at high risk of psychosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nieman, D. H.; Velthorst, E.; Becker, H. E.; de Haan, L.; Dingemans, P. M.; Linszen, D. H.; Birchwood, M.; Patterson, P.; Salokangas, R. K. R.; Heinimaa, M.; Heinz, A.; Juckel, G.; von Reventlow, H. G.; Morrison, A.; Schultze-Lutter, F.; Klosterkötter, J.; Ruhrmann, S.; McGorry, Patrick D.; McGlashan, Thomas H.; Knapp, Martin; van de Fliert, Reinaud; Klaassen, Rianne; Picker, Heinz; Neumann, Meike; Brockhaus-Dumke, Anke; Pukrop, Ralf; Svirskis, Tanja; Huttunen, Jukka; Laine, Tiina; Ilonen, Tuula; Ristkari, Terja; Hietala, Jarmo; Skeate, Amanda; Gudlowski, Yehonala; Ozgürdal, Seza; French, Paul; Stevens, Helen

2013-01-01

To investigate the predictive value of the Strauss and Carpenter Prognostic Scale (SCPS) for transition to a first psychotic episode in subjects clinically at high risk (CHR) of psychosis. Two hundred and forty-four CHR subjects participating in the European Prediction of Psychosis Study were

Head flexion angle while using a smartphone.

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Lee, Sojeong; Kang, Hwayeong; Shin, Gwanseob

2015-01-01

Repetitive or prolonged head flexion posture while using a smartphone is known as one of risk factors for pain symptoms in the neck. To quantitatively assess the amount and range of head flexion of smartphone users, head forward flexion angle was measured from 18 participants when they were conducing three common smartphone tasks (text messaging, web browsing, video watching) while sitting and standing in a laboratory setting. It was found that participants maintained head flexion of 33-45° (50th percentile angle) from vertical when using the smartphone. The head flexion angle was significantly larger (p smartphone, could be a main contributing factor to the occurrence of neck pain of heavy smartphone users. Practitioner Summary: In this laboratory study, the severity of head flexion of smartphone users was quantitatively evaluated when conducting text messaging, web browsing and video watching while sitting and standing. Study results indicate that text messaging while sitting caused the largest head flexion than that of other task conditions.

Dental needs in Brazilian patients subjected to head and neck radiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosales, Ana Carolina de Mesquita Netto; Esteves, Sérgio Carlos Barros; Jorge, Jacks; Almeida, Oslei Paes de; Lopes, Márcio Ajudarte

2009-01-01

In spite of its recognized benefits in the treatment of malignant tumors, radiation therapy have several side effects in the head and neck region. The evaluation of oral conditions by a dentist is important to prevent or minimize these problems. The aim of this retrospective review was to analyze the dental needs in 357 patients who received radiotherapy in the head and neck region and were treated at Orocentro/FOP/UNICAMP, between January 1990 and December 2004. Review of patient files showed that dental examination before radiotherapy was not performed in 148 patients (41.5%) and was done in 209 patients (58.5%). From the total of examined patients, 94 (45%) did not require dental procedures at the moment of examination, while 115 (55%) presented some sort of dental need. Following the patients after the radiotherapy, it was observed that the group of patients that was evaluated before radiation presented less need of restorations, root canal filling and dental extractions than those who were not evaluated. The results of this study confirm that the evaluation of oral conditions prior to radiotherapy is essential to minimize the dental needs, emphasizing the importance of the dentist in the multidisciplinary team that treats cancer patients.

Dental needs in Brazilian patients subjected to head and neck radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosales, Ana Carolina de Mesquita Netto; Jorge, Jacks; Almeida, Oslei Paes de; Lopes, Marcio Ajudarte

2009-01-01

In spite of its recognized benefits in the treatment of malignant tumors, radiation therapy have several side effects in the head and neck region. The evaluation of oral conditions by a dentist is important to prevent or minimize these problems. The aim of this retrospective review was to analyze the dental needs in 357 patients who received radiotherapy in the head and neck region and were treated at Orocentro/FOP/UNICAMP, between January 1990 and December 2004. Review of patient files showed that dental examination before radiotherapy was not performed in 148 patients (41.5%) and was done in 209 patients (58.5%). From the total of examined patients, 94 (45%) did not require dental procedures at the moment of examination, while 115 (55%) presented some sort of dental need. Following the patients after the radiotherapy, it was observed that the group of patients that was evaluated before radiation presented less need of restorations, root canal filling and dental extractions than those who were not evaluated. The results of this study confirm that the evaluation of oral conditions prior to radiotherapy is essential to minimize the dental needs, emphasizing the importance of the dentist in the multidisciplinary team that treats cancer patients. (author)

Heading Frequency Is More Strongly Related to Cognitive Performance Than Unintentional Head Impacts in Amateur Soccer Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Walter F; Kim, Namhee; Ifrah, Chloe; Sliwinski, Martin; Zimmerman, Molly E; Kim, Mimi; Lipton, Richard B; Lipton, Michael L

2018-01-01

Compared to heading, unintentional head impacts (e.g., elbow to head, head to head, head to goalpost) in soccer are more strongly related to risk of moderate to very severe Central Nervous System (CNS) symptoms. But, most head impacts associated with CNS symptoms that occur in soccer are mild and are more strongly related to heading. We tested for a differential relation of heading and unintentional head impacts with neuropsychological (NP) test performance. Active adult amateur soccer players were recruited in New York City and the surrounding areas for this repeated measures longitudinal study of individuals who were enrolled if they had 5+ years of soccer play and were active playing soccer 6+ months/year. All participants completed a baseline validated questionnaire ("HeadCount-2w"), reporting 2-week recall of soccer activity, heading and unintentional head impacts. In addition, participants also completed NP tests of verbal learning, verbal memory, psychomotor speed, attention, and working memory. Most participants also completed one or more identical follow-up protocols (i.e., HeadCount-2w and NP tests) at 3- to 6-month intervals over a 2-year period. Repeated measures General Estimating Equations (GEE) linear models were used to determine if variation in NP tests at each visit was related to variation in either heading or unintentional head impacts in the 2-week period before testing. 308 players (78% male) completed 741 HeadCount-2w. Mean (median) heading/2-weeks was 50 (17) for men and 26 (7) for women. Heading was significantly associated with poorer performance on psychomotor speed ( p  impacts were not significantly associated with any NP test. Results did not differ after excluding 22 HeadCount-2w with reported concussive or borderline concussive symptoms. Poorer NP test performance was consistently related to frequent heading during soccer practice and competition in the 2 weeks before testing. In contrast, unintentional head impacts incurred

Dynamic Parameter Identification of Subject-Specific Body Segment Parameters Using Robotics Formalism: Case Study Head Complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz-Rodríguez, Miguel; Valera, Angel; Page, Alvaro; Besa, Antonio; Mata, Vicente

2016-05-01

Accurate knowledge of body segment inertia parameters (BSIP) improves the assessment of dynamic analysis based on biomechanical models, which is of paramount importance in fields such as sport activities or impact crash test. Early approaches for BSIP identification rely on the experiments conducted on cadavers or through imaging techniques conducted on living subjects. Recent approaches for BSIP identification rely on inverse dynamic modeling. However, most of the approaches are focused on the entire body, and verification of BSIP for dynamic analysis for distal segment or chain of segments, which has proven to be of significant importance in impact test studies, is rarely established. Previous studies have suggested that BSIP should be obtained by using subject-specific identification techniques. To this end, our paper develops a novel approach for estimating subject-specific BSIP based on static and dynamics identification models (SIM, DIM). We test the validity of SIM and DIM by comparing the results using parameters obtained from a regression model proposed by De Leva (1996, "Adjustments to Zatsiorsky-Seluyanov's Segment Inertia Parameters," J. Biomech., 29(9), pp. 1223-1230). Both SIM and DIM are developed considering robotics formalism. First, the static model allows the mass and center of gravity (COG) to be estimated. Second, the results from the static model are included in the dynamics equation allowing us to estimate the moment of inertia (MOI). As a case study, we applied the approach to evaluate the dynamics modeling of the head complex. Findings provide some insight into the validity not only of the proposed method but also of the application proposed by De Leva (1996, "Adjustments to Zatsiorsky-Seluyanov's Segment Inertia Parameters," J. Biomech., 29(9), pp. 1223-1230) for dynamic modeling of body segments.

Selected Cardiovascular Risk Markers in Vegetarians and Subjects of General Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Valachovičová, Martina; Príbojová, Jana; Urbánek, Vladimír; Bírošová, Lucia

2017-12-01

Besides genetic factors there are environmental effects including nutritional habits which can influence the risk of age-related diseases. The aim of the study was to assess the age dependence of selected cardiovascular risk markers in two groups of subjects with different nutritional pattern. In 470 long-term vegetarians and 478 subjects of general population the following indicators were measured: total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerol, glucose, insulin concentrations, LDL-cholesterol, atherogenic index and insulin resistance IR(HOMA) were also calculated in studied subjects. Obtained data were evaluated according to age decades. Vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, insulin, and values of atherogenic index and IR(HOMA) were significantly reduced in all age decades. Vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian triacalglycerol concentrations were significantly reduced from 4th–7th decade. Vegetarian average decade values of all lipid parameters were in reference range. In non-vegetarian group, the risk average values of total cholesterol (>5.2 mmol/l) were found from 5th–7th decade, LDL-cholesterol (>3.3 mmol/l) in 7th decade and atherogenic index (>4) in 6th–7th decade. In vegetarians vs. non-vegetarians were noted the average decade values for total cholesterol ranging from 4.01–4.59 vs. 4.48–5.67 mmol/l, for triacylglycerols 1.00–1.33 vs. 1.13–1.74 mmol/l, for LDL-cholesterol 2.03–2.58 vs. 2.43–3.49 mmol/l, for atherogenic index 2.72–3.31 vs. 3.05–4.21 and for IR(HOMA) 0.99–1.15 vs. 1.15–1.84. Our data show significantly reduced mean age decade values of lipid and non-lipid cardiovascular risk markers in all adult vegetarians. Smaller changes of markers between decades compared to non-vegetarians document a protective effect of vegetarian nutrition in prevention of cardiovascular disease. Copyright© by the National Institute of Public Health, Prague 2017

Higher risk of probable mental emotional disorder in low or severe vision subjects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lutfah Rif’ati

2012-07-01

health problem priority in Indonesia. This paper presents an assessment of severe visual impairments related to the risk of MED. Methods: This paper assessed a part of Basic Health Research (Riskesdas 2007 data. For this assessment, subjects 15 years old or more had their visual acuity measured using the Snellen chart and their mental health status determined using the Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ 20. A subject was considered to have probable MED if the subject had a total score of 6 or more on the SRQ. Based on the measure of visual acuity, visual acuity was divided into 3 categories: normal/mild (20/20 to 20/60; low vision (less than 20/60 to 3/60; and blind (less than 3/60 to 0/0. Results: Among 972,989 subjects, 554,886 were aged 15 years or older. 11.4% of the subjects had probable MED. The prevalence of low vision and blindness was 5.1% and 0.9%, respectively. Compared to subjects with normal or mild visual impairments, subjects with low vision had a 74% increased risk for probable MED [adjusted relative risk (RRa=1,75; 95% confidence interval (CI=1,71-1,79].  Blind subjects had a 2.7-fold risk to be probable MED (RRa=2.69; 95% CI=2.60-2.78] compared to subjects with normal or mild visual impairments. Conclusion: Visual impairment severity increased probable MED risk. Therefore, visual impairment subjects need more attention on probable MED. (Health Science Indones 2011;2:9-13

Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Unipolar and Bipolar Radial Head Prosthesis in Patients with Radial Head Fracture: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hongwei; Wang, Ziyang; Shang, Yongjun

2018-06-01

To compare clinical outcomes of unipolar and bipolar radial head prosthesis in the treatment of patients with radial head fracture. Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, Google Scholar databases were searched until April 18, 2016 using the following search terms: radial head fracture, elbow fracture, radial head arthroplasty, implants, prosthesis, unipolar, bipolar, cemented, and press-fit. Randomized controlled trials, retrospective, and cohort studies were included. The Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS), disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) score, radiologic assessment, ROM, and grip strength following elbow replacement were similar between prosthetic devices. The pooled mean excellent/good ranking of MEPS was 0.78 for unipolar and 0.73 for bipolar radial head arthroplasty, and the pooled mean MEPS was 86.9 and 79.9, respectively. DASH scores for unipolar and bipolar prosthesis were 19.0 and 16.3, respectively. Range of motion outcomes were similar between groups, with both groups have comparable risk of flexion arc, flexion, extension deficit, rotation arc, pronation, and supination (p values bipolar prosthesis). However, bipolar radial head prosthesis was associated with an increased chance of heterotopic ossification and lucency (p values ≤0.049) while unipolar prosthesis was not (p values ≥0.088). Both groups had risk for development of capitellar osteopenia or erosion/wear (p values ≤0.039). Unipolar and bipolar radial head prostheses were similar with respect to clinical outcomes. Additional comparative studies are necessary to further compare different radial head prostheses used to treat radial head fracture.

Risk of Being Subjected to Crime, Including Violent Crime, After Onset of Mental Illness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dean, Kimberlie; Laursen, Thomas M; Pedersen, Carsten B

2018-01-01

Importance: People with mental illness are more likely to have contact with the criminal justice system, but research to date has focused on risk of offense perpetration, while less is known about risk of being subjected to crime and violence. Objectives: To establish the incidence of being...... subjected to all types of criminal offenses, and by violent crimes separately, after onset of mental illness across the full diagnostic spectrum compared with those in the population without mental illness. Design, Setting, and Participants: This investigation was a longitudinal national cohort study using...... of mental illness, recorded as first contact with outpatient or inpatient mental health services. Diagnoses across the full spectrum of psychiatric diagnoses were considered separately for men and women. Main Outcomes and Measures: Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated for first subjection to crime...

Public knowledge of head and neck cancer.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Connor, T E

2010-04-01

Studies show 60% of patients with newly diagnosed Head & Neck Squamous Cell Cancer in Ireland, present with advanced disease. A poor level of knowledge and awareness among the public of Head & Neck Cancer, is an important consideration in the often delayed presentation for medical attention in many of these cases. Our study surveyed 200 members of the public to assess their knowledge and awareness of Head & Neck Cancer. One hundred and forty (70%) of respondents had never encountered the term "Head & Neck Cancer". One hundred and forty six (73%) failed to identify excessive alcohol consumption as a risk factor. Less than 100 (50%) would have concern about persisting hoarseness or a prolonged oral ulcer. An urgent need exists to raise awareness of Head & Neck Cancer among the public in Ireland.

Knowledge and screening of head and neck cancer among American Indians in South Dakota.

Science.gov (United States)

Dwojak, Sunshine; Deschler, Daniel; Sargent, Michele; Emerick, Kevin; Guadagnolo, B Ashleigh; Petereit, Daniel

2015-06-01

We established the level of awareness of risk factors and early symptoms of head and neck cancer among American Indians in South Dakota and determined whether head and neck cancer screening detected clinical findings in this population. We used the European About Face survey. We added questions about human papillomavirus, a risk factor for head and neck cancer, and demographics. Surveys were administered at 2 public events in 2011. Participants could partake in a head and neck cancer screening at the time of survey administration. Of the 205 American Indians who completed the survey, 114 participated in the screening. Mean head and neck cancer knowledge scores were 26 out of 44. Level of education was the only factor that predicted higher head and neck cancer knowledge (b = 0.90; P = .01). Nine (8%) people had positive head and neck cancer screening examination results. All abnormal clinical findings were in current or past smokers (P = .06). There are gaps in American Indian knowledge of head and neck cancer risk factors and symptoms. Community-based head and neck cancer screening in this population is feasible and may be a way to identify early abnormal clinical findings in smokers.

Circulating irisin levels are positively associated with metabolic risk factors in sedentary subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, María; Moreno-Navarrete, José María; Serrano, Marta; Ortega, Francisco; Delgado, Elías; Sanchez-Ragnarsson, Cecilia; Valdés, Sergio; Botas, Patricia; Ricart, Wifredo; Fernández-Real, José Manuel

2015-01-01

A physically active life-style plays an independent role in the protection against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Irisin, a novel exercise-induced myokine, activates thermogenesis in rodents through increasing beige fat cells abundance within white fat. We aimed to investigate circulating irisin levels in association with the degree of physical activity and various metabolic parameters in humans. Circulating irisin levels (ELISA) and metabolic parameters were analyzed in 428 subjects (195 men/233 women). Participants were classified according to their self-reported physical activity and to their area of residence. Circulating irisin levels were higher in active than in sedentary subjects (p = 0.006). Rural inhabitants showed higher circulating irisin levels than urban subjects (p sedentary participants, irisin levels were positively associated with metabolic risk factors (BMI, fasting insulin, HOMA and fasting triglycerides). The area of residence (β = - 0.592, p = sedentary participants, circulating irisin levels were positively associated with parameters related to an increased cardiometabolic risk. The present study confirmed that an active lifestyle increases circulating irisin levels, but only among subjects living in a rural environment. Area of residence might be a determinant of irisin levels.

Hyperlipidemia and statins use for the risk of new-onset anxiety/depression in patients with head and neck cancer: A population-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chung-I; Lin, Li-Ching; Tien, Hung-Cheng; Que, Jenny; Ting, Wei Chen; Chen, Po-Chun; Wu, Hsin-Min; Ho, Chung-Han; Wang, Jhi-Joung; Wang, Ren-Hong; Yang, Ching-Chieh

2017-01-01

Anxiety/depression is common among patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), and can negatively affect treatment compliance and outcome. The aim of this study was to assess the association between hyperlipidemia and the risk of new-onset anxiety/depression after the diagnosis of HNC and the influence of administering statins. A matched longitudinal cohort study of 1632 subjects (408 HNC patients with preexisting hyperlipidemia and 1224 age- and sex-matched HNC patients without hyperlipidemia) was included and analyzed by using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from January 1996 to December 2012. The incidence and hazard ratios (HRs) for the development of new-onset anxiety/depression were examined between the two groups. Cox proportional hazard regression was applied to estimate the relative risks of anxiety/depressive disorders adjusted for potential confounding factors. To estimate the risks of anxiety/depression in different sub-groups, a stratified analysis was also used. HNC patients with preexisting hyperlipidemia had a higher risk for comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease (P anxiety/depression in the HNC patients with preexisting hyperlipidemia was also significantly higher than that among patients without hyperlipidemia (10.78% vs 7.27%, respectively; P = 0.03). A Cox regression model revealed that preexisting hyperlipidemia was an independent risk factor for anxiety/depression (aHR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.30-2.94). Statins use was protective against anxiety/depression among HNC patients with hyperlipidemia (aHR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.46-1.57), especially for individuals older than 65 years and for females. Preexisting hyperlipidemia was associated with increased risk of new-onset anxiety/depression in the HNC patients. Statins use for HNC patients with hyperlipidemia could decrease the risk of anxiety/depression, especially for those older than 65 years and for female patients.

Insulin Secretion and Risk for Future Diabetes in Subjects with a Nonpositive Insulinogenic Index

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daisuke Aono

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To characterize subjects with a nonpositive insulinogenic index and longitudinally observe changes in their glucose tolerance. Subjects and Methods. A historical cohort study was conducted using data from the medical checkups of public school workers. Indices of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity derived from oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT and the incidences of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT were compared among subgroups of subjects with different insulinogenic index (change in insulin/change in glucose over the first 30 min on the OGTT. Results. Of the 1464 nondiabetic subjects at baseline, 72 (4.9% subjects had a nonpositive insulinogenic index: 42 of those subjects had a nonpositive glucose response (ΔGlu0–30 ≤ 0 and 30 had a nonpositive insulin response (ΔIns0–30 ≤ 0. Compared with subjects who had normal glucose tolerance (NGT with insulinogenic index ≥ 0.4, subjects with a nonpositive glucose response had a higher first-phase Stumvoll and lower incidences of diabetes and IGT based on a log-rank test (p<0.05, whereas subjects with a nonpositive insulin response had lower indices of insulin secretion and a higher incidence of diabetes (p<0.05. Conclusions. These results demonstrate that in the first 30 min on the OGTT, subjects with a nonpositive insulinogenic index due to a nonpositive glucose response (ΔGlu0–30 ≤ 0 had a lower risk for future diabetes and that subjects with nonpositive insulin response (ΔIns0–30 ≤ 0 had a higher risk for future one.

Human Papilloma Virus in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Asvadi Kermani, I; Seifi, SH; Dolatkhah, R; Sakhinia, E; Dastgiri, S; Ebrahimi, A; Lotfy, A; Esmaeili, HA; G, Mohammadi; M, Naderpour; SH, Hajalipour; Haggi A, Asghari; M, Nadri

2012-01-01

Background Epidemiologic and molecular evidences have established a strong link between high risk types of Human Papilloma Virus and a subgroup of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas (HNSCC). We evaluated the frequency of HPV positivity in HNSCC and its relationship to demographic and some risk factor variables in an open case- control study. Methods Fourteen recently diagnosed patients with squamous cell cancer of oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx aged 18-50 years were examined from 2008-2010 in Tabriz, Iran. HPV DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded blocks of each patient's sample for PCR evaluation. Saliva samples of 94 control cancer-free subjects were collected for DNA analysis. Multivariable logistic regression method was used to calculate odds ratio for case-control comparisons. Results High risk HPV was detected in 6(42.8%) patients, and 6(5.3%) control subjects which was statistically significant (p<0.0001). HPV-18 was the most frequent type both in the cases and controls. HPV-16 DNA was detected in two patients of the case group, but it was not detected in any of the controls. The relation between demographic and risk factor variables was not statistically significant. Conclusion HPV infection has a significant impact on HNSCC. Despite HPV-16 stronger impact, HPV-18 is more likely to cause malignant degeneration in such cancers amongst some communities. It is vital to introduce and conduct immunization schedules in health care systems to protect communities to some extent. PMID:25780535

Risk factors for severe Dysphagia after concurrent chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koiwai, Keiichiro; Shikama, Naoto; Sasaki, Shigeru; Shinoda, Atsunori; Kadoya, Masumi

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for dysphagia induced by chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancers. Forty-seven patients with head and neck cancers who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy from December 1998 to March 2006 were reviewed retrospectively. Median age was 63 years (range, 16-81). The locations of the primary lesion were as follows: larynx in 18 patients, oropharynx in 11, nasopharynx in 7, hypopharynx in 7 and others in 4. Clinical stages were as follows: Stage II in 20 and Stages III-IV in 27. Almost all patients underwent platinum-based concomitant chemoradiotherapy. The median cumulative dose of cisplatin was 100 mg/m 2 (range, 80-300) and median radiation dose was 70 Gy (range, 50-70). Severe dysphagia (Grade 3-4) was observed in 22 patients (47%) as an acute toxic event. One patient required tube feeding even at 12-month follow-up. In univariate analysis, clinical stage (III-IV) (P=0.017), primary site (oro-hypopharynx) (P=0.041) and radiation portal size (>11 cm) (P<0.001) were found to be associated with severe dysphagia. In multivariate analysis, only radiation portal size was found to have a significant relationship with severe dysphagia (P=0.048). Larger radiation portal field was associated with severe dysphagia induced by chemoradiotherapy. (author)

Evaluation of an automatic segmentation algorithm for definition of head and neck organs at risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomson, David; Boylan, Chris; Liptrot, Tom; Aitkenhead, Adam; Lee, Lip; Yap, Beng; Sykes, Andrew; Rowbottom, Carl; Slevin, Nicholas

2014-08-03

The accurate definition of organs at risk (OARs) is required to fully exploit the benefits of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer. However, manual delineation is time-consuming and there is considerable inter-observer variability. This is pertinent as function-sparing and adaptive IMRT have increased the number and frequency of delineation of OARs. We evaluated accuracy and potential time-saving of Smart Probabilistic Image Contouring Engine (SPICE) automatic segmentation to define OARs for salivary-, swallowing- and cochlea-sparing IMRT. Five clinicians recorded the time to delineate five organs at risk (parotid glands, submandibular glands, larynx, pharyngeal constrictor muscles and cochleae) for each of 10 CT scans. SPICE was then used to define these structures. The acceptability of SPICE contours was initially determined by visual inspection and the total time to modify them recorded per scan. The Simultaneous Truth and Performance Level Estimation (STAPLE) algorithm created a reference standard from all clinician contours. Clinician, SPICE and modified contours were compared against STAPLE by the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and mean/maximum distance to agreement (DTA). For all investigated structures, SPICE contours were less accurate than manual contours. However, for parotid/submandibular glands they were acceptable (median DSC: 0.79/0.80; mean, maximum DTA: 1.5 mm, 14.8 mm/0.6 mm, 5.7 mm). Modified SPICE contours were also less accurate than manual contours. The utilisation of SPICE did not result in time-saving/improve efficiency. Improvements in accuracy of automatic segmentation for head and neck OARs would be worthwhile and are required before its routine clinical implementation.

Heading Frequency Is More Strongly Related to Cognitive Performance Than Unintentional Head Impacts in Amateur Soccer Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walter F. Stewart

2018-04-01

Full Text Available ObjectiveCompared to heading, unintentional head impacts (e.g., elbow to head, head to head, head to goalpost in soccer are more strongly related to risk of moderate to very severe Central Nervous System (CNS symptoms. But, most head impacts associated with CNS symptoms that occur in soccer are mild and are more strongly related to heading. We tested for a differential relation of heading and unintentional head impacts with neuropsychological (NP test performance.MethodActive adult amateur soccer players were recruited in New York City and the surrounding areas for this repeated measures longitudinal study of individuals who were enrolled if they had 5+ years of soccer play and were active playing soccer 6+ months/year. All participants completed a baseline validated questionnaire (“HeadCount-2w”, reporting 2-week recall of soccer activity, heading and unintentional head impacts. In addition, participants also completed NP tests of verbal learning, verbal memory, psychomotor speed, attention, and working memory. Most participants also completed one or more identical follow-up protocols (i.e., HeadCount-2w and NP tests at 3- to 6-month intervals over a 2-year period. Repeated measures General Estimating Equations (GEE linear models were used to determine if variation in NP tests at each visit was related to variation in either heading or unintentional head impacts in the 2-week period before testing.Results308 players (78% male completed 741 HeadCount-2w. Mean (median heading/2-weeks was 50 (17 for men and 26 (7 for women. Heading was significantly associated with poorer performance on psychomotor speed (p < 0.001 and attention (p = 0.02 tasks and was borderline significant with poorer performance on the working memory (p = 0.06 task. Unintentional head impacts were not significantly associated with any NP test. Results did not differ after excluding 22 HeadCount-2w with reported concussive or borderline concussive symptoms

Customizable rigid head fixation for infants: technical note.

Science.gov (United States)

Udayakumaran, Suhas; Onyia, Chiazor U

2016-01-01

The need and advantages of rigid fixation of the head in cranial surgeries are well documented (Berryhill et al., Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 121:269-273, 1999). Head fixation for neurosurgical procedures in infants and in early years has been a challenge and is fraught with risk. Despite the fact that pediatric pins are designed, rigid head fixation involving direct application of pins to the head of infants and slightly older children is still generally not safe (Agrawal and Steinbok, Childs Nerv Syst 22:1473-1474, 2006). Yet, there are some surgeries in which some form of rigid fixation is required (Agrawal and Steinbok, Childs Nerv Syst 22:1473-1474, 2006). We describe a simple technique to achieve rigid fixation of the head in infants for neurosurgical procedures. This involves applying a head band made of Plaster of Paris (POP) around the head and then applying the fixation pins of the fixation frame directly on to the POP. We have used this technique of head fixation successfully for infants with no complications.

Differential Risk of Hypertension Among Lean and Nonlean Rural Subjects in Relation to Decadal Changes in Anthropometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Deshpande-Joshi, Sayali S; Rao, Shobha

2018-02-09

Assessing risk of hypertension in relation to decadal changes in anthropometry among cohort of young rural Indian men. Subjects (n = 140) were measured in 2005 and 2015 for blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), body fat (BF), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and additionally for visceral fat (VF) at follow-up. Decadal changes showed significant (p lean (baseline BMI lean but was not significant among nonlean subjects. This was also true for change in other adiposity indicators, indicating greater vulnerability of lean subjects. Further, among lean subjects, ORs reduced considerably after adjusting for VF, whereas among nonlean subjects ORs continued to remain nonsignificant but showing independent significance for VF. For similar level of change in adiposity indicators, lean subjects were at greater risk of hypertension than nonlean subjects, probably due to higher VF deposition.

Estimating Subjective Probabilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Steffen; Fountain, John; Harrison, Glenn W.

2014-01-01

either construct elicitation mechanisms that control for risk aversion, or construct elicitation mechanisms which undertake 'calibrating adjustments' to elicited reports. We illustrate how the joint estimation of risk attitudes and subjective probabilities can provide the calibration adjustments...... that theory calls for. We illustrate this approach using data from a controlled experiment with real monetary consequences to the subjects. This allows the observer to make inferences about the latent subjective probability, under virtually any well-specified model of choice under subjective risk, while still...

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) -- Head

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... it may cause some medical devices to malfunction. Most orthopedic implants pose no risk, but you should ... a digital cloud server. Currently, MRI is the most sensitive imaging test of the head (particularly the ...

Subject search study. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Todeschini, C.

1995-01-01

The study gathered information on how users search the database of the International Nuclear Information System (INIS), using indicators such as Subject categories, Controlled terms, Subject headings, Free-text words, combinations of the above. Users participated from the Australian, French, Russian and Spanish INIS Centres, that have different national languages. Participants, both intermediaries and end users, replied to a questionnaire and executed search queries. The INIS Secretariat at the IAEA also participated. A protocol of all search strategies used in actual searches in the database was kept. The thought process for Russian and Spanish users is predominantly non-English and also the actual initial search formulation is predominantly non-English among Russian and Spanish users while it tends to be more in English among French users. A total of 1002 searches were executed by the five INIS centres including the IAEA. The search protocols indicate the following search behaviour: 1) free text words represent about 40% of search points on an average query; 2) descriptors used as search keys have the widest range as percentage of search points, from a low of 25% to a high of 48%; 3) search keys consisting of free text that coincides with a descriptor account for about 15% of search points; 4) Subject Categories are not used in many searches; 5) free text words are present as search points in about 80% of all searches; 6) controlled terms (descriptors) are used very extensively and appear in about 90% of all searches; 7) Subject Headings were used in only a few percent of searches. From the results of the study one can conclude that there is a greater reluctance on the part of non-native English speakers in initiating their searches by using free text word searches. Also: Subject Categories are little used in searching the database; both free text terms and controlled terms are the predominant types of search keys used, whereby the controlled terms are used more

In Vivo Damage of the Head-Neck Junction in Hard-on-Hard Total Hip Replacements: Effect of Femoral Head Size, Metal Combination, and 12/14 Taper Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massimiliano Baleani

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Recently, concerns have been raised about the potential effect of head-neck junction damage products at the local and systemic levels. Factors that may affect this damage process have not been fully established yet. This study investigated the possible correlations among head-neck junction damage level, implant design, material combination, and patient characteristics. Head-neck junctions of 148 retrieved implants were analysed, including both ceramic-on-ceramic (N = 61 and metal-on-metal (N = 87 bearings. In all cases, the male taper was made of titanium alloy. Damage was evaluated using a four-point scoring system based on damage morphology and extension. Patient age at implantation, implantation time, damage risk factor, and serum ion concentration were considered as independent potential predicting variables. The damage risk factor summarises head-neck design characteristics and junction loading condition. Junction damage correlated with both implantation time and damage factor risk when the head was made of ceramic. A poor correlation was found when the head was made of cobalt alloy. The fretting-corrosion phenomenon seemed mainly mechanically regulated, at least when cobalt alloy components were not involved. When a component was made of cobalt alloy, the role of chemical phenomena increased, likely becoming, over implantation time, the damage driving phenomena of highly stressed junctions.

Increased health risk in subjects with high self-reported seasonality.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolas M Øyane

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Seasonal variations in mood and behaviour, termed seasonality, are commonly reported in the general population. As a part of a large cross-sectional health survey in Hordaland, Norway, we investigated the relationship between seasonality, objective health measurements and health behaviours. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A total of 11,545 subjects between 40-44 years old participated, completing the Global Seasonality Score, measuring seasonality. Waist/hip circumference, BMI and blood pressure were measured, and blood samples were analyzed for total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose. Subjects also completed a questionnaire on miscellaneous health behaviours (exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to investigate associations between seasonality and objective health measurements, while binary logistic regression was used for analysing associations between seasonality and health behaviours. Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic factors, month of questionnaire completion and sleep duration. Seasonality was positively associated with high waist-hip-ratio, BMI, triglyceride levels, and in men high total cholesterol. Seasonality was negatively associated with HDL cholesterol. In women seasonality was negatively associated with prevalence of exercise and positively associated with daily cigarette smoking. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: High seasonality was associated with objective health risk factors and in women also with health behaviours associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

Efficacy of routine pre-radiation dental screening and dental follow-up in head and neck oncology patients on intermediate and late radiation effects. A retrospective evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuurhuis, Jennifer M; Stokman, Monique A; Roodenburg, Johannes L N; Reintsema, Harry; Langendijk, Johannes A; Vissink, Arjan; Spijkervet, Frederik K L

2011-12-01

Head-neck radiotherapy is accompanied by a life-long risk of developing severe oral problems. This study retrospectively assessed oral foci detected during pre-radiation dental screening and follow-up in order to assess risk factors for developing oral problems after radiotherapy. Charts of 185 consecutive head-neck cancer patients, subjected to a pre-radiation dental screening in the University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, between January 2004 and December 2008 were reviewed. Eighty (partially) dentulous patients scheduled for curative head-neck radiotherapy met the inclusion criteria. Oral foci were found in 76% of patients, predominantly periodontal disease. Osteoradionecrosis had developed in 9 out of 80 patients (11%). Overall, patients presenting with periodontal pockets ≥ 6mm at dental screening had an increased risk (19%) of developing osteoradionecrosis compared to the total group of patients. Patients in whom periodontal disease treatment was composed of initial periodontal in stead of removal of the affected teeth, the risk of developing osteoradionecrosis was even higher, viz. 33%. A worse periodontal condition at dental screening and initial periodontal therapy to safeguard these patients to develop severe oral sequelae after radiotherapy were shown to be major risk factors of developing osteoradionecrosis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Missed posterior dislocation of the hip in a head-injured patient with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Head injury increases the risk of missed diagnosis by making patient-derived history impossible. The risk of missing a posterior dislocation of the hip in a head-injured patient is aggravated when an ipsilateral femoral shaft fracture co-exists. Adequate radiological evaluation of bone and joints is therefore of ...

A comparison of head-out mist bathing, with or without facial fanning, with head-out half-body low-water level bathing in humans—a pilot study

Science.gov (United States)

Iwase, Satoshi; Kawahara, Yuko; Nishimura, Naoki; Nishimura, Rumiko; Miwa, Chihiro; Kataoka, Yumiko; Kobayashi, Chihiro; Suzuki, Takahiro; Shigaraki, Masayuki; Maeda, Yoichi; Takada, Hiroki; Watanabe, Yoriko

2014-07-01

To reduce the risks of Japanese-style bathing, half-body bathing (HBLB) has been recommended in Japan, but discomfort due to the cold environment in winter prevents its widespread adoption. The development of the mist sauna, which causes a gradual core temperature rise with sufficient thermal comfort, has reduced the demerits of HBLB. We examined head-out 42 °C mist bathing with 38 °C HBLB up to the navel to see if it could improve thermal comfort without detracting from the merits of HBLB, with and without the effects of facial fanning (FF). The subjects were seven healthy males aged 22-25 years. The following bathing styles were provided: (1) HBLB—head-out half-body low bathing of 38 °C up to the navel (20 min); (2) HOMB—head-out mist bathing of 42 °C and HBLB of 38 °C (20 min); and (3) HOMBFF—HOMB with FF (20 min). HOMB raised the core temperature gradually. HOMBFF suppressed the core temperature rise in a similar fashion to HOMB. Increases in blood pressure and heart rate usually observed in Japanese traditional-style bathing were less marked in HOMBs with no significant difference with and without FF. The greatest body weight loss was observed after Japanese traditional-style bathing, with only one-third of this amount lost after mist bathing, and one-sixth after HBLB. HOMB increased thermal sensation, and FF also enhanced post-bathing invigoration. We conclude that HOMB reduces the risks of Japanese traditional style bathing by mitigating marked changes in the core temperature and hemodynamics, and FF provides thermal comfort and invigoration.

A comparison of head-out mist bathing, with or without facial fanning, with head-out half-body low-water level bathing in humans--a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwase, Satoshi; Kawahara, Yuko; Nishimura, Naoki; Nishimura, Rumiko; Miwa, Chihiro; Kataoka, Yumiko; Kobayashi, Chihiro; Suzuki, Takahiro; Shigaraki, Masayuki; Maeda, Yoichi; Takada, Hiroki; Watanabe, Yoriko

2014-07-01

To reduce the risks of Japanese-style bathing, half-body bathing (HBLB) has been recommended in Japan, but discomfort due to the cold environment in winter prevents its widespread adoption. The development of the mist sauna, which causes a gradual core temperature rise with sufficient thermal comfort, has reduced the demerits of HBLB. We examined head-out 42 °C mist bathing with 38 °C HBLB up to the navel to see if it could improve thermal comfort without detracting from the merits of HBLB, with and without the effects of facial fanning (FF). The subjects were seven healthy males aged 22-25 years. The following bathing styles were provided: (1) HBLB-head-out half-body low bathing of 38 °C up to the navel (20 min); (2) HOMB-head-out mist bathing of 42 °C and HBLB of 38 °C (20 min); and (3) HOMBFF-HOMB with FF (20 min). HOMB raised the core temperature gradually. HOMBFF suppressed the core temperature rise in a similar fashion to HOMB. Increases in blood pressure and heart rate usually observed in Japanese traditional-style bathing were less marked in HOMBs with no significant difference with and without FF. The greatest body weight loss was observed after Japanese traditional-style bathing, with only one-third of this amount lost after mist bathing, and one-sixth after HBLB. HOMB increased thermal sensation, and FF also enhanced post-bathing invigoration. We conclude that HOMB reduces the risks of Japanese traditional style bathing by mitigating marked changes in the core temperature and hemodynamics, and FF provides thermal comfort and invigoration.

Motorcycle helmet use and the risk of head, neck, and fatal injury: Revisiting the Hurt Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, Thomas M; Troszak, Lara; Ouellet, James V; Erhardt, Taryn; Smith, Gordon S; Tsai, Bor-Wen

2016-06-01

Most studies find strong evidence that motorcycle helmets protect against injury, but a small number of controversial studies have reported a positive association between helmet use and neck injury. The most commonly cited paper is that of Goldstein (1986). Goldstein obtained and reanalyzed data from the Hurt Study, a prospective, on-scene investigation of 900 motorcycle collisions in the city of Los Angeles. The Goldstein results have been adopted by the anti-helmet community to justify resistance to compulsory motorcycle helmet use on the grounds that helmets may cause neck injuries due to their mass. In the current study, we replicated Goldstein's models to understand how he obtained his unexpected results, and we then applied modern statistical methods to estimate the association of motorcycle helmet use with head injury, fatal injury, and neck injury among collision-involved motorcyclists. We found Goldstein's analysis to be critically flawed due to improper data imputation, modeling of extremely sparse data, and misinterpretation of model coefficients. Our new analysis showed that motorcycle helmets were associated with markedly lower risk of head injury (RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.31-0.52) and fatal injury (RR 0.44, 95% CI 0.26-0.74) and with moderately lower but statistically significant risk of neck injury (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.40-0.99), after controlling for multiple potential confounders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Head trauma in female professional wrestlers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomoto, Jun; Seiki, Yoshikatsu; Nemoto, Masaaki

2007-01-01

The clinical characteristics of head trauma were evaluated in 18 wrestlers belonging to a female professional wrestling organization, 13 regular members and five trainees aged 15-34 years. Medical examinations for head trauma were performed in all wrestlers, and wrestlers treated at our emergency outpatient department were clinically evaluated. In addition, the relationships of head trauma with duration of the wrestling career of 1-16 years (mean 8 years) in the regular members, and less than 1 year in the five trainees, and body mass index (BMI) of 21.0-32.0 in the 16 subjects, excluding two trainees, was evaluated. Chronic symptoms were noted in four of the 18 wrestlers with long wrestling careers (16 years in 1, 13 years in 1, and 5 years in 2). Three wrestlers with symptoms immediately after head trauma showed recurrent retrograde amnesia and had low BMI (21.6, 21.6, and 23.1). Five wrestlers were treated at our emergency outpatient clinic, three required hospitalization and two showed intracranial traumatic changes on computed tomography (acute subdural hematoma in 1 and diffuse brain swelling in 1). Head trauma in female professional wrestlers is associated with longer wrestling career and low BMI. Periodic medical examinations are recommended to monitor for signs of head trauma. (author)

Randomized trial addressing risk features and time factors of surgery plus radiotherapy in advanced head-and-neck cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ang, K. Kian; Trotti, Andy; Brown, Barry W.; Garden, Adam S.; Foote, Robert L.; Morrison, William H.; Geara, Fady B.; Klotch, Douglas W.; Goepfert, Helmuth; Peters, Lester J.

2001-01-01

Purpose: A multi-institutional, prospective, randomized trial was undertaken in patients with advanced head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma to address (1) the validity of using pathologic risk features, established from a previous study, to determine the need for, and dose of, postoperative radiotherapy (PORT); (2) the impact of accelerating PORT using a concomitant boost schedule; and (3) the importance of the overall combined treatment duration on the treatment outcome. Methods and Materials: Of 288 consecutive patients with advanced disease registered preoperatively, 213 fulfilled the trial criteria and went on to receive therapy predicated on a set of pathologic risk features: no PORT for the low-risk group (n=31); 57.6 Gy during 6.5 weeks for the intermediate-risk group (n=31); and, by random assignment, 63 Gy during 5 weeks (n=76) or 7 weeks (n=75) for the high-risk group. Patients were irradiated with standard techniques appropriate to the site of disease and likely areas of spread. The study end points were locoregional control (LRC), survival, and morbidity. Results: Patients with low or intermediate risks had significantly higher LRC and survival rates than those with high-risk features (p=0.003 and p=0.0001, respectively), despite receiving no PORT or lower dose PORT, respectively. For high-risk patients, a trend toward higher LRC and survival rates was noted when PORT was delivered in 5 rather than 7 weeks. A prolonged interval between surgery and PORT in the 7-week schedule was associated with significantly lower LRC (p=0.03) and survival (p=0.01) rates. Consequently, the cumulative duration of combined therapy had a significant impact on the LRC (p=0.005) and survival (p=0.03) rates. A 2-week reduction in the PORT duration by using the concomitant boost technique did not increase the late treatment toxicity. Conclusions: This Phase III trial established the power of risk assessment using pathologic features in determining the need for, and dose of

Is Heading in Youth Soccer Dangerous Play?

Science.gov (United States)

O'Kane, John W

2016-01-01

Soccer is among the most popular youth sports with over 3 million youth players registered in the U.S. Soccer is unique in that players intentionally use their head to strike the ball, leading to concerns that heading could cause acute or chronic brain injury, especially in the immature brains of children. Pub Med search without date restriction was conducted in November 2014 and August 2015 using the terms soccer and concussion, heading and concussion, and youth soccer and concussion. 310 articles were identified and reviewed for applicable content specifically relating to youth athletes, heading, and/or acute or chronic brain injury from soccer. Soccer is a low-risk sport for catastrophic head injury, but concussions are relatively common and heading often plays a role. At all levels of play, concussions are more likely to occur in the act of heading than with other facets of the game. While concussion from heading the ball without other contact to the head appears rare in adult players, some data suggests children are more susceptible to concussion from heading primarily in game situations. Contributing factors include biomechanical forces, less developed technique, and the immature brain's susceptibility to injury. There is no evidence that heading in youth soccer causes any permanent brain injury and there is limited evidence that heading in youth soccer can cause concussion. A reasonable approach based on U.S. Youth Soccer recommendations is to teach heading after age 10 in controlled settings, and heading in games should be delayed until skill acquisition and physical maturity allow the youth player to head correctly with confidence.

Radiologic head CT interpretation errors in pediatric abusive and non-abusive head trauma patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kralik, Stephen F.; Finke, Whitney; Wu, Isaac C.; Ho, Chang Y.; Hibbard, Roberta A.; Hicks, Ralph A.

2017-01-01

patients (41% vs 23%, P=0.02; 26% vs. 12%, P=0.03). The most common findings resulting in major radiologic interpretation errors were fractures and subdural hemorrhage. Differences in the age of the patient and the percentage of patients with hemorrhage were statistically significant between the abusive head trauma versus non-abusive head trauma groups, while no statistical difference was identified for skull fractures, ischemia, head CT radiation dose, or presence of multiplanar or 3-D reformatted images. The second interpretation more frequently indicated potential for abusive head trauma compared to the primary interpretation (P=0.0001). MRI and/or surgical findings were in agreement with the second interpretation in 29/29 (100%) of patients with discrepancies. A high incidence of radiologic interpretation errors may occur in pediatric trauma patients at risk for abusive head trauma who are referred from a community hospital. This suggests value for second interpretations of head CTs at a tertiary pediatric hospital for this patient population. (orig.)

Radiologic head CT interpretation errors in pediatric abusive and non-abusive head trauma patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kralik, Stephen F.; Finke, Whitney; Wu, Isaac C.; Ho, Chang Y. [Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indianapolis, IN (United States); Hibbard, Roberta A.; Hicks, Ralph A. [Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Child Protection Programs, Indianapolis, IN (United States)

2017-07-15

patients (41% vs 23%, P=0.02; 26% vs. 12%, P=0.03). The most common findings resulting in major radiologic interpretation errors were fractures and subdural hemorrhage. Differences in the age of the patient and the percentage of patients with hemorrhage were statistically significant between the abusive head trauma versus non-abusive head trauma groups, while no statistical difference was identified for skull fractures, ischemia, head CT radiation dose, or presence of multiplanar or 3-D reformatted images. The second interpretation more frequently indicated potential for abusive head trauma compared to the primary interpretation (P=0.0001). MRI and/or surgical findings were in agreement with the second interpretation in 29/29 (100%) of patients with discrepancies. A high incidence of radiologic interpretation errors may occur in pediatric trauma patients at risk for abusive head trauma who are referred from a community hospital. This suggests value for second interpretations of head CTs at a tertiary pediatric hospital for this patient population. (orig.)

RISK OF OBESITY FOR HYPERTENSION DIFFERS BETWEEN DIABETIC AND NON-DIABETIC SUBJECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MA Sayeed

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, non-communicable diseases (NCD like obesity, hypertension (HTN and Type2 diabetes (T2DM are on the increase, specially in the developing nations. Body mass index (BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR and Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR are used as indices of obesity to relate T2DM, HTN and coronary artery disease (CAD. This study addresses whether the risk of obesity for HTN differs between T2DM and non-DM subjects. We investigated 693 diabetic patients from BIRDEM and 2384 from communities. We measured height, weight, waist-girth, hip-girth and blood pressure. All subjects underwent oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT. BMI, WHR and WHtR were calculated. Systolic and diastolic hypertension (sHTN and dHTN were defined as SBP >=140 and DBP >= 90 mmHg, respectively. The prevalence of both sHTN and dHTN in T2DM was higher than the non-DM subjects (sHTN: 49.1 vs 14.3%, dHTN 19.6 vs. 9.5%. The comparison of characteristics between subjects with and without hypertension showed that the differences were significant for age, weight, waist-girth, BMI, WHR and WHtR for both T2DM and non-DM subjects (for all p<0.001. The increasing trend of hypertension with increasing obesity was observed more in the non-DM than in the T2DM subjects. The risk (OR of obesity for hypertension increased with increasing WHR and WHtR in the non-DM than the T2DM subjects. Compared with the non-DM the T2DM participants had two to three folds higher prevalence of HTN. In either group, BMI, WHR and WHtR were significantly higher in the hypertensive than the non-hypertensive subjects. The prevalence of hypertension increased with the increasing BMI, WHR and WHtR but significant only in the non-DM. Further studies may confirm these findings and determine whether there was any altered association between blood pressure and obesity in diabetes possibily, with or without autonomic neuropathy. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2007; 1(1: 1-6

Head and neck cancer in HIV patients and their parents: a Danish cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engsig, Frederik N; Gerstoft, Jan; Kronborg, Gitte

2011-01-01

The mechanism for the increased risk of head and neck cancer (HNC) observed in HIV patients is controversial. We hypothesized that family-related risk factors increase the risk of HNC why we estimated the risk of this type of cancer in both HIV patients and their parents.......The mechanism for the increased risk of head and neck cancer (HNC) observed in HIV patients is controversial. We hypothesized that family-related risk factors increase the risk of HNC why we estimated the risk of this type of cancer in both HIV patients and their parents....

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) -- Head

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... examination poses almost no risk to the average patient when appropriate safety guidelines are followed. If sedation is used, there ... have a personal story about radiology? Share your patient story here Images ... Disease Head Injury Brain Tumors Images related ...

The differential impact of subjective and objective aspects of social engagement on cardiovascular risk factors.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kamiya, Yumiko

2010-01-01

This article provides new insights into the impact of social engagement on CVD risk factors in older adults. We hypothesized that objective (social participation, social ties and marital status) and subjective (emotional support) aspects of social engagement are independently associated with objective measures of cardiovascular risk.

Stroke After Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer: What Is the Risk?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arthurs, Erin [Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Hanna, Timothy P. [Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Department of Oncology, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Zaza, Khaled [Department of Oncology, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Peng, Yingwei [Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Hall, Stephen F., E-mail: sfh@queensu.ca [Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Department of Otolaryngology, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada)

2016-11-01

Purpose: A retrospective population-based cohort study was conducted to determine the risk of ischemic stroke with respect to time, associated with curative radiation therapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Methods and Materials: On the basis of data from the Ontario Cancer Registry and regional cancer treatment centers, 14,069 patients were identified with diagnoses of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, larynx, and pharynx who were treated for cure between 1990 and 2010. Hazards of stroke and time to stroke were examined, accounting for the competing risk of death. Stroke risk factors identified through diagnostic and procedural administrative codes were adjusted for in the comparison between treatment regimens, which included surgery alone versus radiation therapy alone and surgery alone versus any exposure to radiation therapy. Results: Overall, 6% of patients experienced an ischemic stroke after treatment, with 5% experiencing a stroke after surgery, 8% after radiation therapy alone, and 6% after any exposure to radiation therapy. The cause-specific hazard ratios of ischemic stroke after radiation therapy alone and after any exposure to radiation therapy compared with surgery were 1.70 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.41-2.05) and 1.46 (95% CI: 1.23-1.73), respectively, after adjustment for stroke risk factors, patient factors, and disease-related factors. Conclusions: Radiation therapy was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke compared with surgery alone: for both radiation therapy alone and after all treatment modalities that included any radiation treatment were combined. Because of a shift toward a younger HNSCC patient population, our results speak to the need for adequate follow-up and survivorship care among patients who have been treated with radiation therapy. Advances in treatment that minimize chronic morbidity also require further evaluation.

Marijuana smoking and the risk of head and neck cancer: pooled analysis in the INHANCE consortium.

Science.gov (United States)

Berthiller, Julien; Lee, Yuan-Chin Amy; Boffetta, Paolo; Wei, Qingyi; Sturgis, Erich M; Greenland, Sander; Morgenstern, Hal; Zhang, Zuo-Feng; Lazarus, Philip; Muscat, Joshua; Chen, Chu; Schwartz, Stephen M; Eluf Neto, José; Wünsch Filho, Victor; Koifman, Sergio; Curado, Maria Paula; Matos, Elena; Fernandez, Leticia; Menezes, Ana; Daudt, Alexander W; Ferro, Gilles; Brennan, Paul; Hashibe, Mia

2009-05-01

Marijuana contains carcinogens similar to tobacco smoke and has been suggested by relatively small studies to increase the risk of head and neck cancer (HNC). Because tobacco is a major risk factor for HNC, large studies with substantial numbers of never tobacco users could help to clarify whether marijuana smoking is independently associated with HNC risk. We pooled self-reported interview data on marijuana smoking and known HNC risk factors on 4,029 HNC cases and 5,015 controls from five case-control studies within the INHANCE Consortium. Subanalyses were conducted among never tobacco users (493 cases and 1,813 controls) and among individuals who did not consume alcohol or smoke tobacco (237 cases and 887 controls). The risk of HNC was not elevated by ever marijuana smoking [odds ratio (OR), 0.88; 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), 0.67-1.16], and there was no increasing risk associated with increasing frequency, duration, or cumulative consumption of marijuana smoking. An increased risk of HNC associated with marijuana use was not detected among never tobacco users (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.63-1.37; three studies) nor among individuals who did not drink alcohol and smoke tobacco (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.47-2.38; two studies). Our results are consistent with the notion that infrequent marijuana smoking does not confer a risk of these malignancies. Nonetheless, because the prevalence of frequent marijuana smoking was low in most of the contributing studies, we could not rule out a moderately increased risk, particularly among subgroups without exposure to tobacco and alcohol.

Subjective Risk Assessment and Perception in the Greek and English Bakery Industries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evangelos C. Alexopoulos

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Several factors influencing risk perception in the area of occupational health and safety are known, but there is still lack of a full understanding of the ways in which people characterize risk. This study aimed to provide an insight of employee risk assessment and perception in the bakery industry. 87 British and 64 Greek employees in two comparable bakery companies were asked to estimate and evaluate hazards at their workplace. The participants' judgments of 12 hazards—according to 7 risk aspects—were collected and analyzed. Subjective assessment on important occupational hazards included handling heavy loads, repetitiveness, high temperatures, high rate of work, stressful deadlines, and noise. Although limited in the population involved, our findings revealed strong cross-national differences in employee risk perception of specific groups of hazards in the bakery industry. Additional interviews revealed evidence that Greek employees' risk perception depends mostly on work experience while British employees were aware of risks due to company health and safety policy, recognizing that safety is the responsibility of both the management and the worker. Cross-national (cultural factors that influence workforce risk perception and attitudes towards safety have to be taken into account by technical experts and policy makers in the designing of prevention strategies and risk communication.

Subjective Risk Assessment and Perception in the Greek and English Bakery Industries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexopoulos, E.C.; Kavadi, Z.; Bakoyannis, G.; Papantonopoulos, S.

2010-01-01

Several factors influencing risk perception in the area of occupational health and safety are known, but there is still lack of a full understanding of the ways in which people characterize risk. This study aimed to provide an insight of employee risk assessment and perception in the bakery industry. 87 British and 64 Greek employees in two comparable bakery companies were asked to estimate and evaluate hazards at their workplace. The participants judgments of 12 hazards according to 7 risk aspects were collected and analyzed. Subjective assessment on important occupational hazards included handling heavy loads, repetitiveness, high temperatures, high rate of work, stressful deadlines, and noise. Although limited in the population involved, our findings revealed strong cross-national differences in employee risk perception of specific groups of hazards in the bakery industry. Additional interviews revealed evidence that Greek employees risk perception depends mostly on work experience while British employees were aware of risks due to company health and safety policy, recognizing that safety is the responsibility of both the management and the worker. Cross-national (cultural) factors that influence workforce risk perception and attitudes towards safety have to be taken into account by technical experts and policy makers in the designing of prevention strategies and risk communication.

Risk assessment in the European Community (EC); perspective as partial contributor in decision making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinck, W.

1981-01-01

This paper is oriented towards the use of nuclear power for electricity production. The subject is discussed under the following headings: preamble; survey of practice and trends in reliability analyses and risk assessment:general (the risk concept; the types of reliability and risk analysis; the present state and trends of a probabilistic approach in safety analysis); risk analysis, partial contributor in the acceptability-problem (the political scene; technological society; cost effectiveness of risk reduction, cost-risk-benefit balancing; risk perception and acceptance; comparison of energy systems); need for and limitations of quantified safety objectives. (U.K.)

Differential protective effects of motorcycle helmets against head injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Singleton, Michael D

2017-05-19

Although numerous observational studies have demonstrated a protective effect of motorcycle helmets against head injury, the degree of protection against specific head injury types remains unclear. Experimental biomechanics studies involving cadavers, animals, and computer models have established that head injuries have varying etiologies. This retrospective cross-sectional study compared helmet protection against skull fracture, cerebral contusion, intracranial hemorrhage, and cerebral concussion in a consecutive series of motorcycle operators involved in recent traffic crashes in Kentucky. Police collision reports linked to hospital inpatient and emergency department (ED) claims were analyzed for the period 2008 to 2012. Motorcycle operators with known helmet use who were not killed at the crash scene were included in the study. Helmet use was ascertained from the police report. Skull fracture, cerebral contusion, intracranial hemorrhage, and cerebral concussion were identified from International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes on the claims records. The relative risks of each type of head injury for helmeted versus unprotected operators were estimated using generalized estimating equations. Helmets offer substantial protection against skull fracture (relative risk [RR] = 0.31, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23, 0.34), cerebral contusion (RR = 0.29, 95% CI, 0.16, 0.53), and intracranial hemorrhage (RR = 0.47, 95% CI, 0.35, 0.63). The findings pertaining to uncomplicated concussion (RR = 0.80, 95% CI, 0.64, 1.01) were inconclusive. A modest protective effect (20% risk reduction) was suggested by the relative risk estimate, but the 95% confidence interval included the null value. Motorcycle helmets were associated with a 69% reduction in skull fractures, 71% reduction in cerebral contusion, and 53% reduction in intracranial hemorrhage. This study finds that current motorcycle helmets do not protect equally against

Crisis in Cataloging Revisited: The Year's Work in Subject Analysis, 1990.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, James Bradford

1991-01-01

Reviews the 1990 literature that concerns subject analysis. Issues addressed include subject cataloging, including Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH); classification, including Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), Library of Congress Classification, and classification in online systems; subject access, including the online use of…

Extracting Characteristics of the Study Subjects from Full-Text Articles.

Science.gov (United States)

Demner-Fushman, Dina; Mork, James G

Characteristics of the subjects of biomedical research are important in determining if a publication describing the research is relevant to a search. To facilitate finding relevant publications, MEDLINE citations provide Medical Subject Headings that describe the subjects' characteristics, such as their species, gender, and age. We seek to improve the recommendation of these headings by the Medical Text Indexer (MTI) that supports manual indexing of MEDLINE. To that end, we explore the potential of the full text of the publications. Using simple recall-oriented rule-based methods we determined that adding sentences extracted from the methods sections and captions to the abstracts prior to MTI processing significantly improved recall and F1 score with only a slight drop in precision. Improvements were also achieved in directly assigning several headings extracted from the full text. These results indicate the need for further development of automated methods capable of leveraging the full text for indexing.

Neuroimaging of nonaccidental head trauma: pitfalls and controversies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernando, Sujan [University of Missouri-Kansas School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Kansas City, MO (United States); Obaldo, Ruby E. [The University of Kansas Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Kansas City, MO (United States); Walsh, Irene R. [The University of Missouri-Kansas City, Children' s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Department of Emergency Medicine, Kansas City, MO (United States); Lowe, Lisa H. [The University of Missouri-Kansas City, Children' s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Department of Radiology, Kansas City, MO (United States)

2008-08-15

Although certain neuroimaging appearances are highly suggestive of abuse, radiological findings are often nonspecific. The objective of this review is to discuss pitfalls, controversies, and mimics occurring in neuroimaging of nonaccidental head trauma in order to allow the reader to establish an increased level of comfort in distinguishing between nonaccidental and accidental head trauma. Specific topics discussed include risk factors, general biomechanics and imaging strategies in nonaccidental head trauma, followed by the characteristics of skull fractures, normal prominent tentorium and falx versus subdural hematoma, birth trauma versus nonaccidental head trauma, hyperacute versus acute on chronic subdural hematomas, expanded subarachnoid space versus subdural hemorrhage, controversy regarding subdural hematomas associated with benign enlarged subarachnoid spaces, controversy regarding hypoxia as a cause of subdural hematoma and/or retinal hemorrhages without trauma, controversy regarding the significance of retinal hemorrhages related to nonaccidental head trauma, controversy regarding the significance of subdural hematomas in general, and pitfalls of glutaric aciduria type 1 and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis mimicking nonaccidental head trauma. (orig.)

Neuroimaging of nonaccidental head trauma: pitfalls and controversies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernando, Sujan; Obaldo, Ruby E.; Walsh, Irene R.; Lowe, Lisa H.

2008-01-01

Although certain neuroimaging appearances are highly suggestive of abuse, radiological findings are often nonspecific. The objective of this review is to discuss pitfalls, controversies, and mimics occurring in neuroimaging of nonaccidental head trauma in order to allow the reader to establish an increased level of comfort in distinguishing between nonaccidental and accidental head trauma. Specific topics discussed include risk factors, general biomechanics and imaging strategies in nonaccidental head trauma, followed by the characteristics of skull fractures, normal prominent tentorium and falx versus subdural hematoma, birth trauma versus nonaccidental head trauma, hyperacute versus acute on chronic subdural hematomas, expanded subarachnoid space versus subdural hemorrhage, controversy regarding subdural hematomas associated with benign enlarged subarachnoid spaces, controversy regarding hypoxia as a cause of subdural hematoma and/or retinal hemorrhages without trauma, controversy regarding the significance of retinal hemorrhages related to nonaccidental head trauma, controversy regarding the significance of subdural hematomas in general, and pitfalls of glutaric aciduria type 1 and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis mimicking nonaccidental head trauma. (orig.)

The Effects of the Disturbance of the Vestibular System on the Dynamic Balance of Idiopathic Scoliotic Subjects with and Without Exercise Therapy Compared to Healthy Subjects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Farahpour

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The mechanism of the neuromuscular system’s disorders in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS are not well known. The objectives of this study were to assess the dynamic balance of the AIS patients and the influence of exercise therapy on patients' dynamic balance. Eleven teenager scoliotic subjects after three months exercise therapy, nine similar patients without therapy and 13 healthy age matched subjects as control group were studied. Using dynamic stability platform, the deviation of COG of subjects in different positions, including up right standing, standing with head flexion and standing with head hyper extension were measured. The tests were repeated in both lose and stable condition of the foot platform. Results showed that the stability of the foot platform resulted in COG's deviation by 1.13 0.08 in all subjects. Dynamic balance of scoliotic patients without treatment was similar to that of the normal subjects. While, exercised patients had less COG deviation than the other groups. The change in head position increased the COG deviation by 2.5 times in control and non-exercised patients and 1.5 times in exercised patients. The dynamic balance in scoliosis was not affected. Exercise improved the dynamic balance in scoliotic subjects. Exercise therapy is recommended to improve the proprioceptives function.

Use of Subjective Global Assessment, Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment and Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 to evaluate the nutritional status of non-critically ill patients on parenteral nutrition.

Science.gov (United States)

Badia-Tahull, M B; Cobo-Sacristán, S; Leiva-Badosa, E; Miquel-Zurita, M E; Méndez-Cabalerio, N; Jódar-Masanés, R; Llop-Talaverón, J

2014-02-01

To evaluate the nutritional status of non-critically ill digestive surgery patients at the moment of parenteral nutrition initiation using three different nutritional test tools and to study their correlation. To study the association between the tests and the clinical and laboratory parameters used in the follow-up of PN treatment. Prospective study over 4 months. Anthropometric and clinical variables were recorded. Results of Subjective Global Assessment; Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment; and Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 were compared applying kappa test. Relationship between the clinical and laboratory parameters with Subjective Global Assessment was studied by multinominal regression and with the other two tests by multiple linear regression models. Age and sex were included as adjustment variables. Malnutrition in 45 studied patients varied from 51% to 57%. Subjective Global Assessment correlated well with Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment and Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (κ = 0531 p = 0.000). The test with the greatest correlation with the clinical and analytical variables was the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002. Worse nutritional state in this test was associated with worse results in albumin (B = -0.087; CI = -0.169/-0.005], prealbumin (B = -0.005; CI = [-0.011/-0.001]), C-reactive protein (B = 0.006;CI = [0.001/ 0.011]) and leukocytes (B = 0.134; CI = [0.031/0.237]) at the en of parenteral nutrition treatment. Half of the digestive surgery patients were at malnutritional risk at the moment of initiating parenteral nutrition. Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 was the test with best association with the parameters used in the clinical follow-up of parenteral nutrition treated patients. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Ideal femoral head size in total hip arthroplasty balances stability and volumetric wear.

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Cross, Michael B; Nam, Denis; Mayman, David J

2012-10-01

Over the last several years, a trend towards increasing femoral head size in total hip arthroplasty to improve stability and impingement free range of motion has been observed. The specific questions we sought to answer in our review were: (1) What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of metal-on-metal, ceramic-on-ceramic, and metal-on-polyethylene bearings? (2) What is effect that femoral head size has on joint kinematics? (3) What is the effect that large femoral heads have on bearing surface wear? A PubMed search and a review of 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society abstracts was performed and articles were chosen that directly answered components of the specific aims and that reported outcomes with contemporary implant designs or materials. A review of the literature suggests that increasing femoral head size decreases the risk of postoperative dislocation and improves impingement free range of motion; however, volumetric wear increases with large femoral heads on polyethylene and increases corrosion of the stem in large metal-on-metal modular total hip arthroplasty (THA); however, the risk of potentially developing osteolysis or adverse reactions to metal debris respectively is still unknown. Further, the effect of large femoral heads with ceramic-on-ceramic THA is unclear, due to limited availability and published data. Surgeons must balance the benefits of larger head size with the increased risk of volumetric wear when determining the appropriate head size for a given patient.

Activation of biceps femoris long head reduces tibiofemoral anterior shear force and tibial internal rotation torque in healthy subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Azmi, Nur Liyana; Ding, Ziyun; Xu, Rui; Bull, Anthony M J

2018-01-01

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) provides resistance to tibial internal rotation torque and anterior shear at the knee. ACL deficiency results in knee instability. Optimisation of muscle contraction through functional electrical stimulation (FES) offers the prospect of mitigating the destabilising effects of ACL deficiency. The hypothesis of this study is that activation of the biceps femoris long head (BFLH) reduces the tibial internal rotation torque and the anterior shear force at the knee. Gait data of twelve healthy subjects were measured with and without the application of FES and taken as inputs to a computational musculoskeletal model. The model was used to investigate the optimum levels of BFLH activation during FES gait in reducing the anterior shear force to zero. This study found that FES significantly reduced the tibial internal rotation torque at the knee during the stance phase of gait (p = 0.0322) and the computational musculoskeletal modelling revealed that a mean BFLH activation of 20.8% (±8.4%) could reduce the anterior shear force to zero. At the time frame when the anterior shear force was zero, the internal rotation torque was reduced by 0.023 ± 0.0167 Nm/BW, with a mean 188% reduction across subjects (p = 0.0002). In conclusion, activation of the BFLH is able to reduce the tibial internal rotation torque and the anterior shear force at the knee in healthy control subjects. This should be tested on ACL deficient subject to consider its effect in mitigating instability due to ligament deficiency. In future clinical practice, activating the BFLH may be used to protect ACL reconstructions during post-operative rehabilitation, assist with residual instabilities post reconstruction, and reduce the need for ACL reconstruction surgery in some cases.

Visual perception of axes of head rotation

Science.gov (United States)

Arnoldussen, D. M.; Goossens, J.; van den Berg, A. V.

2013-01-01

Registration of ego-motion is important to accurately navigate through space. Movements of the head and eye relative to space are registered through the vestibular system and optical flow, respectively. Here, we address three questions concerning the visual registration of self-rotation. (1) Eye-in-head movements provide a link between the motion signals received by sensors in the moving eye and sensors in the moving head. How are these signals combined into an ego-rotation percept? We combined optic flow of simulated forward and rotational motion of the eye with different levels of eye-in-head rotation for a stationary head. We dissociated simulated gaze rotation and head rotation by different levels of eye-in-head pursuit. We found that perceived rotation matches simulated head- not gaze-rotation. This rejects a model for perceived self-rotation that relies on the rotation of the gaze line. Rather, eye-in-head signals serve to transform the optic flow's rotation information, that specifies rotation of the scene relative to the eye, into a rotation relative to the head. This suggests that transformed visual self-rotation signals may combine with vestibular signals. (2) Do transformed visual self-rotation signals reflect the arrangement of the semi-circular canals (SCC)? Previously, we found sub-regions within MST and V6+ that respond to the speed of the simulated head rotation. Here, we re-analyzed those Blood oxygenated level-dependent (BOLD) signals for the presence of a spatial dissociation related to the axes of visually simulated head rotation, such as have been found in sub-cortical regions of various animals. Contrary, we found a rather uniform BOLD response to simulated rotation along the three SCC axes. (3) We investigated if subject's sensitivity to the direction of the head rotation axis shows SCC axes specifcity. We found that sensitivity to head rotation is rather uniformly distributed, suggesting that in human cortex, visuo-vestibular integration is

Disturbed functional connectivity of cortical activation during semantic discrimination in patients with schizophrenia and subjects at genetic high-risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaobo; Branch, Craig A; Nierenberg, Jay; Delisi, Lynn E

2010-03-01

Schizophrenia has a strong genetic component that is relevant to the understanding of the pathophysiology of the syndrome. Thus, recent investigations have shifted from studies of diagnosed patients with schizophrenia to examining their unaffected relatives. Previous studies found that during language processing, relatives thought to be at genetic high-risk for the disorder exhibit aberrant functional activation in regions of language processing, specifically in the left inferior frontal gyrus (Broca's area). However, functional connectivity among the regions involved in language pathways is not well understood. In this study, we examined the functional connectivity between a seed located in Broca's area and the remainder of the brain during a visual lexical decision task, in 20 schizophrenia patients, 21 subjects at genetic high risk for the disorder and 21 healthy controls. Both the high-risk subjects and patients showed significantly reduced activation correlations between seed and regions related to visual language processing. Compared to the high-risk subjects, the schizophrenia patients showed even fewer regions that were correlated with the seed regions. These results suggest that there is aberrant functional connectivity within cortical language circuitry in high-risk subjects and patients with schizophrenia. Broca's area, which is one of the important regions for language processing in healthy controls, had a significantly reduced role in the high-risk subjects and patients with schizophrenia. Our findings are consistent with the existence of an underlying biological disturbance that begins in genetically at risk individuals and progresses to a greater extent in those who eventually develop schizophrenia.

Could cognitive vulnerability identify high-risk subjects for schizophrenia?

Science.gov (United States)

Sarfati, Yves; Hardy-Baylé, Marie-Christine

2002-12-08

This review puts into questions the possible role of cognitive vulnerability markers in prediction and prevention of schizophrenia. Until recently, none of the identified cognitive anomalies has been proved to be definitive. However, as new promising candidates are emerging (DS-CPT, CPT-IP, P suppression, Saccadic Eye Movements), the predictive value of these trait-type anomalies may be criticized regarding four issues, which are discussed: technical, metrological, theoretical, and clinical. As things stand, the existence of a cognitive vulnerability marker, which testify to a permanent pathological trait, does not constitute a sufficient factor to identify and treat subjects who are at risk for schizophrenia. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Risk factors for competing noncancer mortality after definitive treatment for advanced-stage head and neck cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yong Han; Roh, Jong-Lyel; Kim, Sung-Bae; Choi, Seung-Ho; Nam, Soon Yuhl; Kim, Sang Yoon

2018-05-27

Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) can die of index tumor progression and second tumor or noncancer causes. Here, we investigated the risk factors for competing noncancer mortality (NCM) in a prospective cohort of patients with advanced-stage HNC. A prospective observational study was conducted with 604 patients who underwent definitive treatment for advanced-stage HNC between 2010 and 2015. Main outcomes were NCM and cancer mortality (CM) defined as death from noncancer causes and HNC or second cancers, respectively. Cumulative incidence and cause-specific hazard functions were used to analyze the risk factors of NCM and CM. Age, smoking, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), performance status, body mass index, rural residence, education and hemoglobin level at diagnosis, and chemotherapy were significantly associated with NCM (all Padvanced-stage HNC. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Hyperparathyroidism following head and neck irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, S.D.; Frame, B.; Miller, M.J.; Kleerskoper, M.; Block, M.A.; Parfitt, A.M.

1980-01-01

A history of head and neck irradiation in childhood or adolescence was found in 22 of 130 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism compared with only 12 of 400 control patients. Among 200 patients with a known history of childhood irradiation, biochemical or surgical evidence of hyperparathyroidism was found in ten, a prevalence of 5%. This is at least 30 times the prevalence of hyperparathyroidism in the general population. The data indicate that head and neck irradiation should be regarded as an important risk factor in the subsequent development of hyperparathyroidism

Hyperparathyroidism following head and neck irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, S.D.; Frame, B.; Miller, M.J.; Kleerskoper, M.; Block, M.A.; Parfitt, A.M.

1980-02-01

A history of head and neck irradiation in childhood or adolescence was found in 22 of 130 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism compared with only 12 of 400 control patients. Among 200 patients with a known history of childhood irradiation, biochemical or surgical evidence of hyperparathyroidism was found in ten, a prevalence of 5%. This is at least 30 times the prevalence of hyperparathyroidism in the general population. The data indicate that head and neck irradiation should be regarded as an important risk factor in the subsequent development of hyperparathyroidism.

Vestibular-Somatosensory Convergence in Head Movement Control During Locomotion after Long-Duration Space Flight

Science.gov (United States)

Mulavara, Ajitkumar; Ruttley, Tara; Cohen, Helen; Peters, Brian; Miller, Chris; Brady, Rachel; Merkle, Lauren; Bloomberg, Jacob

2010-01-01

Exposure to the microgravity conditions of space flight induces adaptive modification in the control of vestibular-mediated reflexive head movement during locomotion after space flight. Space flight causes astronauts to be exposed to somatosensory adaptation in both the vestibular and body load-sensing (BLS) systems. The goal of these studies was to examine the contributions of vestibular and BLS-mediated somatosensory influences on head movement control during locomotion after long-duration space flight. Subjects were asked to walk on a treadmill driven at 1.8 m/s while performing a visual acuity task. Data were collected using the same testing protocol from three independent subject groups; 1) normal subjects before and after exposure to 30 minutes of 40% bodyweight unloaded treadmill walking, 2) bilateral labyrinthine deficient (LD) patients and 3) astronauts who performed the protocol before and after long duration space flight. Motion data from head and trunk segmental motion data were obtained to calculate the angular head pitch (HP) movements during walking trials while subjects performed the visual task, to estimate the contributions of vestibular reflexive mechanisms in HP movements. Results showed that exposure to unloaded locomotion caused a significant increase in HP movements, whereas in the LD patients the HP movements were significantly decreased. Astronaut subjects results showed a heterogeneous response of both increases and decreases in the amplitude of HP movement. We infer that BLS-mediated somatosensory input centrally modulates vestibular input and can adaptively modify head-movement control during locomotion. Thus, space flight may cause a central adaptation mediated by the converging vestibular and body load-sensing somatosensory systems.

Driving with head-slaved camera system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oving, A.B.; Erp, J.B.F. van

2001-01-01

In a field experiment, we tested the effectiveness of a head-slaved camera system for driving an armoured vehicle under armour. This system consists of a helmet-mounted display (HMD), a headtracker, and a motion platform with two cameras. Subjects performed several driving tasks on paved and in

Circulating irisin levels are positively associated with metabolic risk factors in sedentary subjects.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Moreno

Full Text Available A physically active life-style plays an independent role in the protection against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Irisin, a novel exercise-induced myokine, activates thermogenesis in rodents through increasing beige fat cells abundance within white fat. We aimed to investigate circulating irisin levels in association with the degree of physical activity and various metabolic parameters in humans.Circulating irisin levels (ELISA and metabolic parameters were analyzed in 428 subjects (195 men/233 women. Participants were classified according to their self-reported physical activity and to their area of residence.Circulating irisin levels were higher in active than in sedentary subjects (p = 0.006. Rural inhabitants showed higher circulating irisin levels than urban subjects (p < 0.0001. The increase in irisin levels related to an active lifestyle was only observed in rural citizens (p = 0.014. Among sedentary participants, irisin levels were positively associated with metabolic risk factors (BMI, fasting insulin, HOMA and fasting triglycerides. The area of residence (β = - 0.592, p = < 0.0001 contributed independently to circulating irisin levels variance after controlling for age, gender, BMI, HOMAIR, triglycerides and physical activity.In sedentary participants, circulating irisin levels were positively associated with parameters related to an increased cardiometabolic risk. The present study confirmed that an active lifestyle increases circulating irisin levels, but only among subjects living in a rural environment. Area of residence might be a determinant of irisin levels.

Feasibility of Tomotherapy-based image-guided radiotherapy to reduce aspiration risk in patients with non-laryngeal and non-pharyngeal head and neck cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nam P Nguyen

Full Text Available PURPOSE: The study aims to assess the feasibility of Tomotherapy-based image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT to reduce the aspiration risk in patients with non-laryngeal and non-hypopharyngeal cancer. A retrospective review of 48 patients undergoing radiation for non-laryngeal and non-hypopharyngeal head and neck cancers was conducted. All patients had a modified barium swallow (MBS prior to treatment, which was repeated one month following radiotherapy. Mean middle and inferior pharyngeal dose was recorded and correlated with the MBS results to determine aspiration risk. RESULTS: Mean pharyngeal dose was 23.2 Gy for the whole group. Two patients (4.2% developed trace aspiration following radiotherapy which resolved with swallowing therapy. At a median follow-up of 19 months (1-48 months, all patients were able to resume normal oral feeding without aspiration. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: IGRT may reduce the aspiration risk by decreasing the mean pharyngeal dose in the presence of large cervical lymph nodes. Further prospective studies with IGRT should be performed in patients with non-laryngeal and non-hypopharyngeal head and neck cancers to verify this hypothesis.

Is HEADS in our heads?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boisen, Kirsten A; Hertz, Pernille Grarup; Blix, Charlotte

2016-01-01

contraception], Safety, Self-harm) interview is a feasible way of exploring health risk behaviors and resilience. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate how often HEADS topics were addressed according to young patients and staff in pediatric and adult outpatient clinics. METHODS: We conducted...... care professionals participated. We found only small reported differences between staff and young patients regarding whether home, education, and activity were addressed. However, staff reported twice the rate of addressing smoking, alcohol, illegal drugs, sexuality, and contraception compared to young...... patients. Young patients reported that smoking, alcohol, illegal drugs, sexuality, and contraception were addressed significantly more at adult clinics in comparison to pediatric clinics. After controlling for age, gender and duration of illness, according to young patients, adjusted odds ratios...

Influence of history of head trauma and epilepsy on delinquents in a juvenile classification home.

Science.gov (United States)

Miura, Hideki; Fujiki, Masumi; Shibata, Arihiro; Ishikawa, Kenji

2005-12-01

Juvenile delinquents often show poor impulse control and cognitive abnormalities, which may be related to disturbances in brain development due to head trauma and/or epilepsy. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of head trauma and/or epilepsy on delinquent behavior. We examined 1,336 juvenile delinquents (1,151 males and 185 females) who had been admitted to the Nagoya Juvenile Classification Home, Aichi, Japan. Among them, 52 subjects with a history of epilepsy, convulsion or loss of consciousness, head injury requiring neurological assessment and/or treatment, or neurosurgical operation (head trauma/epilepsy group), were examined by electroencephalography and compared to subjects without these histories (control group) with respect to types of crime, history of amphetamine use, psychiatric treatment, child abuse, and family history. Among the 52 subjects, 43 (82.7%) showed abnormal findings. The head trauma/epilepsy group had significantly higher rates of psychiatric treatment (Phistory of drug abuse (Pdelinquents who had a history of head trauma and/or epilepsy showed a high prevalence of electroencephalograph abnormality, and higher rates of psychiatric treatment and family history of drug abuse, and were more likely to be sent to juvenile training school by the family court.

A Study of Standardized Headings for Warranties. Technical Report No. 6.

Science.gov (United States)

Charrow, Veda R.; Redish, Janice C.

A study was conducted (1) to discover whether using standardized headings on warranties would increase or decrease people's speed and accuracy in understanding the terms of warranties and (2) to determine what effect headings would have on people's attitudes toward warranties. Subjects were 48 adult consumers who read groups of four warranties for…

Snowboard head injury: prospective study in Chino, Nagano, for two seasons from 1995 to 1997.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakaguchi, H; Fujimaki, T; Ueki, K; Takahashi, M; Yoshida, H; Kirino, T

1999-06-01

The popularity of snowboarding has been growing rapidly throughout the world. To date, however, the risk of head injury associated with this relatively new winter sport, especially in comparison with alpine skiing, has not been well analyzed. This study was conducted to assess the risk of head injury in snowboarding and to elucidate its features in comparison with skiing head injury. We prospectively analyzed 301 cases of head injuries related to snowboarding or skiing experienced from December of 1995 to May of 1997 at our institution, which is located close to the most popular skiing areas in Japan. Of those injuries, 143 cases were snowboard related and 158 cases were ski related. In addition to appropriate medical evaluation and medical care, detailed examination was performed on every patient to determine various factors, including sex, age, skill level, cause and mechanism of the accident, and the side of impact to the head. The data are statistically analyzed to elucidate unique features of snowboard head injury. During the study period, 2.2 million snowboarders and 4.2 million skiers visited the five skiing facilities that are covered by our hospital. Thus, the incidence of head injury was 6.5 per 100,000 visits for snowboarders and 3.8 per 100,000 visits for skiers. Beginning snowboarders more frequently sustained head injuries compared with beginning skiers (60 of 142 vs. 48 of 154, p = 0.022). Likewise, frequent causes of snowboarding head injuries were fall during jumping (43 of 139 vs. 2 of 147, pskiing head injuries (1.3%). Of 11 major head injury cases, 10 were caused by occipital impact. These results indicate that snowboarders, particularly beginners, are at higher risk for head injury, frequently involving occipital impact, and could lead to more major head injuries. We propose that measures should be taken to protect the head, especially the occiput, in snowboarding.

The subject marker in Bantu as an antifocus marker*

African Journals Online (AJOL)

KATEVG

I argue that the class 5 subject noun phrase ikati ("cat") and the ...... that its key mechanism is a well-established phenomenon in the syntax of natural .... If head movement is subject to the familiar extraction constraints, it should not be possible ...

Life through a Lens: Risk, Surveillance and Subjectivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gavin Smith

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Drawing on findings from a two-year empirical study examining the culture of closed-circuit television (CCTV operation in the UK, this paper analyses how CCTV camera operators subjectively experience the visual media that they work to produce. It seeks to excavate some of the social meanings that these vicarious risk flâneurs ascribe to the telemediated events that they indirectly encounter, and how these ‘narratives of the street’ come to inscribe themselves on the subjectivities of the camera operators in a disciplinary manner. In so doing, the paper reveals the work of watching to be an ambiguous social practice, an activity that far exceeds its formal framing as a dispassionate and standardised procedure. As such, I contend that CCTV camera operators engage in two distinct modes of work – ‘surface’ and ‘deep’ – as they watch the screens and codify the spectacles that are mediated through the camera lens. The ‘surface’ work they enact is officially acknowledged and concerns their focusing attention on the screens to identify harmful behaviours, to capture evidence and to share information with other collaborators in the security network. This mode of work is principally performed for professional imperatives and economic returns. In contrast, the ‘deep’ work rituals they execute are informal in scope and therapeutic in purpose. Such individualised practices are an unseen and unrecognised work relation that mitigates the negative effects of CCTV viewing. They are operationalised through diverse behavioural repertoires which function to insulate the self from its exposure to mediated traumas, and from the contradiction of mobilising ‘(inaction at a distance’. Overall, the paper accentuates the messy realities that hinge on the practice of urban surveillance, showing these realities to be meditated by the vagaries of subjective experience and social relations.

The effect of ziprasidone on metabolic syndrome risk factors in subjects with schizophrenia: a 1 year, open-label, prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chue, Pierre; Mandel, Francine S; Therrien, François

2014-06-01

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is prevalent in subjects with schizophrenia-related psychotic disorders and contributes to increased rates of premature death due to cardiovascular disease. This study examined the impact of switching from another antipsychotic to ziprasidone on the distribution of the number of risk factors for MetS in subjects with schizophrenia or related psychotic disorders. In this 1 year, open-label, prospective study, all subjects received ziprasidone 40-160 mg/day. Standard exclusion criteria included treatment resistance, physical health disorders, and substance abuse. The primary end point was the percentage of subjects achieving a reduction from baseline of at least one risk factor for MetS at end point (week 52 or premature discontinuation) in the per-protocol population (treated for at least 16 weeks). Secondary end points included the mean change from baseline in number of MetS risk factors, the prevalence of MetS, individual MetS risk factors (waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and glucose), and 10 year coronary heart disease (Framingham score) risk. www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00748566. Of 114 evaluable subjects, 58.77% demonstrated one less MetS risk factor at week 52 (last observation carried forward) compared with baseline. Secondary end points also improved, with reductions in other metabolic parameters (fasting low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol and serum insulin, weight, body mass index and glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c]). The 10 year coronary heart disease risk decreased continually over time. The open-label and uncontrolled design is a limitation of the study. Ziprasidone treatment reduced both the rate of MetS and its individual risk factors in subjects with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. The results have implications for the selection of first-line treatments in schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders, and provide treatment

Atlas-based automatic segmentation of head and neck organs at risk and nodal target volumes: a clinical validation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daisne, Jean-François; Blumhofer, Andreas

2013-01-01

Intensity modulated radiotherapy for head and neck cancer necessitates accurate definition of organs at risk (OAR) and clinical target volumes (CTV). This crucial step is time consuming and prone to inter- and intra-observer variations. Automatic segmentation by atlas deformable registration may help to reduce time and variations. We aim to test a new commercial atlas algorithm for automatic segmentation of OAR and CTV in both ideal and clinical conditions. The updated Brainlab automatic head and neck atlas segmentation was tested on 20 patients: 10 cN0-stages (ideal population) and 10 unselected N-stages (clinical population). Following manual delineation of OAR and CTV, automatic segmentation of the same set of structures was performed and afterwards manually corrected. Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), Average Surface Distance (ASD) and Maximal Surface Distance (MSD) were calculated for “manual to automatic” and “manual to corrected” volumes comparisons. In both groups, automatic segmentation saved about 40% of the corresponding manual segmentation time. This effect was more pronounced for OAR than for CTV. The edition of the automatically obtained contours significantly improved DSC, ASD and MSD. Large distortions of normal anatomy or lack of iodine contrast were the limiting factors. The updated Brainlab atlas-based automatic segmentation tool for head and neck Cancer patients is timesaving but still necessitates review and corrections by an expert

Atlas-based automatic segmentation of head and neck organs at risk and nodal target volumes: a clinical validation.

Science.gov (United States)

Daisne, Jean-François; Blumhofer, Andreas

2013-06-26

Intensity modulated radiotherapy for head and neck cancer necessitates accurate definition of organs at risk (OAR) and clinical target volumes (CTV). This crucial step is time consuming and prone to inter- and intra-observer variations. Automatic segmentation by atlas deformable registration may help to reduce time and variations. We aim to test a new commercial atlas algorithm for automatic segmentation of OAR and CTV in both ideal and clinical conditions. The updated Brainlab automatic head and neck atlas segmentation was tested on 20 patients: 10 cN0-stages (ideal population) and 10 unselected N-stages (clinical population). Following manual delineation of OAR and CTV, automatic segmentation of the same set of structures was performed and afterwards manually corrected. Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), Average Surface Distance (ASD) and Maximal Surface Distance (MSD) were calculated for "manual to automatic" and "manual to corrected" volumes comparisons. In both groups, automatic segmentation saved about 40% of the corresponding manual segmentation time. This effect was more pronounced for OAR than for CTV. The edition of the automatically obtained contours significantly improved DSC, ASD and MSD. Large distortions of normal anatomy or lack of iodine contrast were the limiting factors. The updated Brainlab atlas-based automatic segmentation tool for head and neck Cancer patients is timesaving but still necessitates review and corrections by an expert.

Risk of head-and-neck cancer following a diagnosis of severe cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: a nationwide population-based cohort study in Denmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Svahn, M F; Munk, C; Jensen, S M; von Buchwald, C; Frederiksen, K; Kjaer, S K

2016-07-01

Women with a history of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 including adenocarcinoma in situ (CIN3/AIS) may be more prone to develop cancers of the ano-genital region and head-and-neck cancers. The current literature is, however, limited. We established a nationwide cohort of approximately 2,500,000 Danish women born in 1918-1990. By linking the cohort to population-based health registries, we obtained information on CIN3/AIS, cancer, migration, death, education, and smoking. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between CIN3/AIS and risk of head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). HRs were presented for any HNSCC and for four subgroups categorized by their anticipated degree of association with human papillomavirus (HPV). A history of CIN3/AIS was significantly associated with an increased overall relative risk of HNSCC after adjustment for year of birth, attained age, and length of education. The risk was especially high for sites anticipated to be strongly associated with HPV (e.g. base of tongue, tonsils) (HR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.84-3.36). Lower risks were found for sites anticipated to be not or weakly associated with HPV (e.g. nasal cavity, middle ear, sinuses) (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.61-2.76). Women with a history of CIN3/AIS have a significantly higher risk of HNSCC than women without such a history. The increased relative risk persisted for at least 20years after the CIN3/AIS diagnosis. Women with CIN3/AIS may be more susceptible to the consequences of HPV and/or may have higher risk behavior, such as smoking. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of awareness through movement on the head posture of bruxist children.

Science.gov (United States)

Quintero, Y; Restrepo, C C; Tamayo, V; Tamayo, M; Vélez, A L; Gallego, G; Peláez-Vargas, A

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of physiotherapy to improve the head posture and reduce the signs of bruxism in a group of bruxist children. A single-blind randomized clinical trial was performed. All the subjects were 3- to 6-year old, had complete primary dentition, dental and skeletal class I occlusion and were classified as bruxist according to the minimal criteria of the ICSD for bruxism. For each child, a clinical, photographic and radiographic evaluation of the head and cervical posture were realized with standardized techniques. The children were randomized in an experimental (n = 13) and a control (n = 13) group. A physiotherapeutic intervention was applied to the children of the experimental group once a week, until 10 sessions were completed. Afterwards, the cephalogram and the clinical and photographic evaluation of the head posture were measured again. The data were analysed with the t-test and Mann-Whitney test. The subjects of the experimental group showed statistically significant improvement in the natural head posture. The physiotherapeutic intervention showed to be efficient to improve the head posture at the moment of measurement in the studied children. The relationship between bruxism and head posture, if exists, seems to be worthwhile to examine.

Photographic measurement of head and cervical posture when viewing mobile phone: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Xiaofei; Fan, Guoxin; Wu, Xinbo; Zeng, Ying; Su, Hang; Gu, Guangfei; Zhou, Qi; Gu, Xin; Zhang, Hailong; He, Shisheng

2015-12-01

With the dramatic growth of mobile phone usage, concerns have been raised with regard to the adverse health effects of mobile phone on spinal posture. The aim of this study was to determine the head and cervical postures by photogrammetry when viewing the mobile phone screen, compared with those in neutral standing posture. A total of 186 subjects (81 females and 105 males) aged from 17 to 31 years old participated in this study. Subjects were instructed to stand neutrally and using mobile phone as in daily life. Using a photographic method, the sagittal head and cervical postures were assessed by head tilt angle, neck tilt angle, forward head shift and gaze angle. The photographic method showed a high intra-rater and inter-rater reliability in measuring the sagittal posture of cervical spine and gaze angle (ICCs ranged from 0.80 to 0.99). When looking at mobile phone, the head tilt angle significantly increased (from 74.55° to 95.22°, p = 0.000) and the neck angle decreased (from 54.68° to 38.77°, p = 0.000). The forward head posture was also confirmed by the significantly increased head shift (from 10.90 to 13.85 cm, p = 0.000). The posture assumed in mobile phone use was significantly correlated with neutral posture (p phone use. Compared to neutral standing, subjects display a more forward head posture when viewing the mobile phone screen, which is correlated with neutral posture, gaze angle and gender. Future studies will be needed to investigate a dose-response relationship between mobile phone use and assumed posture.

Effect of head rotation in whiplash-type rear impacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Shrawan; Ferrari, Robert; Narayan, Yogesh

2005-01-01

Knowledge is increasing about the electromyographic and kinematic response of the neck muscles to rear impact, and also recent information is available on the effect of a rear impact offset to the left (posterolateral). The effect of head rotation, however, at the time of rear impact is not known. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of head rotation to the left and right on the cervical muscle response to increasing low-velocity posterolateral impacts. Twenty healthy volunteers were subjected to rear impacts of 4.7, 8.3, 10.9 and 13.7 m/s2 acceleration, offset by 45 degrees to the subject's left, with head rotation to right and left. Bilateral electromyograms of the sternocleidomastoids, trapezii and splenii capitis were recorded. Triaxial accelerometers recorded the acceleration of the sled, torso at the shoulder level, and head of the participant. With the head rotated to the right, at an acceleration of 13.7 m/s2, the left sternocleidomastoid generated 59% and the right sternocleidomastoid 20% of their maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) electromyogram (EMG). Under these conditions, the remaining muscles (both splenii capitis and trapezius) generated 25% or less of their MVC. With the head rotated to the left, at an acceleration of 13.7 m/s2, the right sternocleidomastoid generated 65% and the left sternocleidomastoid only 11% of the MVC EMG. Under these conditions, again the remaining muscles had low EMG activity (27% or less) with the exception of the left trapezius which generated 47% of its MVC. Electromyographic variables were significantly affected by the levels of acceleration (pfactor in determining the muscle response to whiplash, but head rotation at the time of impact is also important in this regard. More specifically, when a rear impact is left posterolateral, it results in increased EMG generation mainly in the contralateral sternocleidomastoid, as expected, but head rotation at the same time in this type of impact reduces the EMG

Surgical site infections among high-risk patients in clean-contaminated head and neck reconstructive surgery: concordance with preoperative oral flora.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ching-Hsiang; Chew, Khong-Yik; Solomkin, Joseph S; Lin, Pao-Yuan; Chiang, Yuan-Cheng; Kuo, Yur-Ren

2013-12-01

Salivary contamination of surgical wounds in clean-contaminated head and neck surgery with free flap reconstruction remains a major cause of infection and leads to significant morbidity. This study investigates the correlation between intraoral flora and surgical site infections (SSIs) among high-risk head and neck cancer patients undergoing resection and free flap reconstruction. One hundred twenty-nine patients were identified as being at high risk for infective complications based on cancer stage, tumor size, comorbid factors, and extent of reconstruction. All patients had intraoral swab cultures before surgery. Patients with culture-confirmed SSI after surgery were chosen for analysis, using the κ index and its 95% confidence interval for concordance analysis. All patients received clindamycin and gentamicin for antibiotic prophylaxis for 5 days. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of all isolates was obtained and analyzed. Thirty-seven patients experienced SSI, or an infection rate of 28.3%, occurring at a mean of 9.3 postoperative days. The overall concordance between oral flora and SSI was fair to moderate (κ index of 0.25), but detailed analysis shows a higher concordance for known and opportunistic pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis, compared to typical oral commensals. Antibiotic susceptibility tests show rapid and significant increases in resistance to clindamycin, indicating a need for a more effective alternative. Predicting pathogens in SSI using preoperative oral swabs did not demonstrate a good concordance in general for patients undergoing clean-contaminated head and neck surgery, although concordance for certain pathogenic species seem to be higher than for typical intraoral commensals. The rapid development of resistance to clindamycin precludes its use as a prophylactic agent.

Effect of Time Management Program on Job Satisfaction for Head Nurses

Science.gov (United States)

Elsabahy, Hanan ELsayed; Sleem, Wafaa Fathi; El Atroush, Hala Gaber

2015-01-01

Background: Time management and job satisfaction all related to each other and greatly affect success of organization. Subjects and Methods: The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a designed program of time management on job satisfaction for head nurses. A Quasi-experimental design was used for a total number of head nurses participated. Two…

Effect of head rotation on cerebral blood velocity in the prone position

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Højlund, Jakob; Sandmand, Marie; Sonne, Morten

2012-01-01

for cerebral blood flow. We tested in healthy subjects the hypothesis that rotating the head in the prone position reduces cerebral blood flow. Methods. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), stroke volume (SV), and CO were determined, together with the middle cerebral artery mean blood velocity (MCA V...... V(mean) ~10% in spite of an elevated MAP. Prone positioning with rotated head affects both CBF and cerebrovenous drainage indicating that optimal brain perfusion requires head centering....

Focal knee lesions in knee pairs of asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects with OA risk factors—Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chundru, Renu, E-mail: renu.chundru@ucsf.edu [Musculoskeletal and Quantitative Imaging Research Group, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States); Baum, Thomas, E-mail: thbaum@gmx.de [Musculoskeletal and Quantitative Imaging Research Group, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States); Nardo, Lorenzo, E-mail: lorenzo.nardo@ucsf.edu [Musculoskeletal and Quantitative Imaging Research Group, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States); Nevitt, Michael C., E-mail: MNevitt@psg.ucsf.edu [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 5700, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States); Lynch, John, E-mail: JLynch@psg.ucsf.edu [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 5700, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States); McCulloch, Charles E., E-mail: CMcCulloch@epi.ucsf.edu [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 5700, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States); Link, Thomas M., E-mail: tmlink@radiology.ucsf.edu [Musculoskeletal and Quantitative Imaging Research Group, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States)

2013-08-15

Objective: To better understand the relationship between knee pain and bilateral knee lesions, we compared focal knee lesions in knee pairs of subjects with no, unilateral, and bilateral knee pain, and risk factors for knee osteoarthritis (OA), but no radiographic knee OA. Materials and methods: We examined both knees of 120 subjects from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database. We randomly selected 60 subjects aged 45–55 years with OA risk factors, no knee pain (WOMAC pain score = 0) and no radiographic OA (KL-score ≤1) in both knees. We also selected two comparison groups with OA risk factors and no radiographic OA in both knees, but with knee pain (WOMAC pain score ≥5): 30 subjects with right only knee pain and 30 subjects with bilateral knee pain. All subjects underwent 3T MRI of both knees and focal knee lesions were assessed. Results: Statistically significant associations between prevalence of focal lesions in the right and left knee with odds ratios up to 13.5 were found in all three subject groups. Focal knee lesions were generally not associated with pain in analyses comparing knee pairs of subjects with unilateral knee pain (p > 0.05). The prevalence and severity of focal knee lesions were not significantly different in knee pairs of subjects with no knee pain and those with bilateral knee pain (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Focal knee lesions in the right and left knee of subjects with OA risk factors were positively associated with each other independent of knee pain status, and were not statistically significant different between knees in subjects with unilateral knee pain.

Focal knee lesions in knee pairs of asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects with OA risk factors—Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chundru, Renu; Baum, Thomas; Nardo, Lorenzo; Nevitt, Michael C.; Lynch, John; McCulloch, Charles E.; Link, Thomas M.

2013-01-01

Objective: To better understand the relationship between knee pain and bilateral knee lesions, we compared focal knee lesions in knee pairs of subjects with no, unilateral, and bilateral knee pain, and risk factors for knee osteoarthritis (OA), but no radiographic knee OA. Materials and methods: We examined both knees of 120 subjects from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database. We randomly selected 60 subjects aged 45–55 years with OA risk factors, no knee pain (WOMAC pain score = 0) and no radiographic OA (KL-score ≤1) in both knees. We also selected two comparison groups with OA risk factors and no radiographic OA in both knees, but with knee pain (WOMAC pain score ≥5): 30 subjects with right only knee pain and 30 subjects with bilateral knee pain. All subjects underwent 3T MRI of both knees and focal knee lesions were assessed. Results: Statistically significant associations between prevalence of focal lesions in the right and left knee with odds ratios up to 13.5 were found in all three subject groups. Focal knee lesions were generally not associated with pain in analyses comparing knee pairs of subjects with unilateral knee pain (p > 0.05). The prevalence and severity of focal knee lesions were not significantly different in knee pairs of subjects with no knee pain and those with bilateral knee pain (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Focal knee lesions in the right and left knee of subjects with OA risk factors were positively associated with each other independent of knee pain status, and were not statistically significant different between knees in subjects with unilateral knee pain

Differences in Pre and Post Vascular Patterning Within Retinas from ISS Crew Members and Head-Down Tilt (HDT) Subjects by VESGEN Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, M. C.; Vizzeri, G.; Taibbi, G.; Mason, S. S.; Young, M.; Zanello, S. B.; Parsons-Wingerter, P.

2018-01-01

Accelerated research by NASA has investigated the significant risks incurred during long-duration missions in microgravity for Space Flight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS, formerly known as Visual Impairments associated with Increased Intracranial Pressure, VIIP) [1]. For our study, NASA's VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN) was used to investigate the role of retinal blood vessels in the etiology of SANS/VIIP. The response of retinal vessels to microgravity was evaluated in astronaut crew members pre and post flight to the International Space Station (ISS), and compared to the response of retinal vessels in healthy volunteers to 6deg head-down tilt during 70 days of bed rest (HDTBR). For the study, we are testing the hypothesis that long-term cephalad fluid shifts resulting in ocular and visual impairments are necessarily mediated in part by retinal blood vessels, and therefore are accompanied by structural adaptations of the vessels. METHODS: Vascular patterns in the retinas of crew members and HDTBR subjects extracted from 30deg infrared (IR) Heidelberg Spectralis images collected pre/postflight and pre/post HDTBR, respectively, were analyzed by VESGEN (patent pending). VESGEN is a mature, automated software developed as a research discovery tool for progressive vascular diseases in the retina and other tissues. The multi-parametric VESGEN analysis generates maps of branching arterial and venous trees quantified by parameters such as the fractal dimension (Df, a modern measure of vascular space-filling capacity), vessel diameters, and densities of vessel length and number classified into specific branching generations according to vascular physiological branching rules. The retrospective study approved by NASA's Institutional Review Board included the analysis of bilateral retinas in eight ISS crew members monitored by routine occupational surveillance and six HDTBR subjects (NASA FARU Campaign 11, for example). The VESGEN analysis was conducted in a

Negligible Egg Positive Rate of Enterobius vermicularis and No Detection of Head Lice among Orphanage Children in Busan and Ulsan, Korea (2014).

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dong-Hee; Son, Hyun-Mi; Lee, Sang Hwa; Park, Mi Kyung; Kang, Shin Ae; Park, Sang Kyun; Choi, Jun-Ho; Park, Jung Ha; Yu, Hak-Sun

2015-08-01

To determine whether pinworm infections and head lice infestations spread among children in orphanages, 117 children from 4 orphanages in Busan-si and Ulsan-si, Korea, were examined for enterobiasis and head lice infestation between January and February 2014. The overall rate of Enterobius vermicularis egg positivity was 0.85%, whereas none of the children had head lice infestations. The rate of pinworm infection was much lower among the orphanage children compared to the rates observed in previous studies among kindergarten and primary school students. Moreover, the risk factors for enterobiasis were less frequent among these subjects than previously reported. The personal hygiene and health of the orphanage children were supervised by a regular, employed nurse through a health education program. In conclusion, pinworm infection was efficiently controlled among the children in orphanages, and this might be related to good personal hygiene practices in Korea.

Improving information retrieval using Medical Subject Headings Concepts: a test case on rare and chronic diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Darmoni, Stéfan J; Soualmia, Lina F; Letord, Catherine; Jaulent, Marie-Christine; Griffon, Nicolas; Thirion, Benoît; Névéol, Aurélie

2012-07-01

As more scientific work is published, it is important to improve access to the biomedical literature. Since 2000, when Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) Concepts were introduced, the MeSH Thesaurus has been concept based. Nevertheless, information retrieval is still performed at the MeSH Descriptor or Supplementary Concept level. The study assesses the benefit of using MeSH Concepts for indexing and information retrieval. Three sets of queries were built for thirty-two rare diseases and twenty-two chronic diseases: (1) using PubMed Automatic Term Mapping (ATM), (2) using Catalog and Index of French-language Health Internet (CISMeF) ATM, and (3) extrapolating the MEDLINE citations that should be indexed with a MeSH Concept. Type 3 queries retrieve significantly fewer results than type 1 or type 2 queries (about 18,000 citations versus 200,000 for rare diseases; about 300,000 citations versus 2,000,000 for chronic diseases). CISMeF ATM also provides better precision than PubMed ATM for both disease categories. Using MeSH Concept indexing instead of ATM is theoretically possible to improve retrieval performance with the current indexing policy. However, using MeSH Concept information retrieval and indexing rules would be a fundamentally better approach. These modifications have already been implemented in the CISMeF search engine.

Environmental tobacco smoking, mutagen sensitivity, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Z F; Morgenstern, H; Spitz, M R; Tashkin, D P; Yu, G P; Hsu, T C; Schantz, S P

2000-10-01

Although active tobacco smoking has been considered a major risk factor for head and neck cancer, few studies have evaluated environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and its interaction with mutagen sensitivity on the risk of head and neck cancer. We investigated the relationship between ETS and head and neck cancer in a case-control study of 173 previously untreated cases with pathologically confirmed diagnoses of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and 176 cancer-free controls at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1992 and 1994. A structured questionnaire was used to collect ETS exposure and other covariates including a history of active tobacco smoking and alcohol use. ETS measures include a history of ETS exposure at home and at workplace. The associations between passive smoking and head and neck cancer were analyzed by Mantel-Haenszel methods and logistic regression models. Additive and multiplicative models were used to evaluate effect modifications between ETS and mutagen sensitivity. The crude odds ratio (OR) for ETS exposure was 2.8 [95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.3-6.0]. Controlling for age, sex, race, education, alcohol consumption, pack-years of cigarette smoking, and marijuana use, the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck was increased with ETS (adjusted OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 0.9-6.8). Dose-response relationships were observed for the degree of ETS exposure; the adjusted ORs were 2.1 (95% CI, 0.7-6.1) for those with moderate exposure and 3.6 (95% CI, 1.1-11.5) for individuals with heavy exposure (P for trend = 0.025), in comparison with those who never had ETS exposures. These associations and the dose-response relationships were still present when the analysis was restricted to nonactive smoking cases and controls (crude OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 0.6-8.4). Crude odds ratios were 1.8 for those with moderate ETS exposure and 4.3 for individuals with heavy ETS exposure among nonsmoking cases and controls (P for trend = 0.008). More

Heads Up

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... Connect with Us HEADS UP Apps Reshaping the Culture Around Concussion in Sports Get HEADS UP on Your Web Site Concussion ... HEADS UP on your web site! Create a culture of safety for young athletes Officials, learn how you can ... UP to Providers HEADS UP to Youth Sports HEADS UP to School Sports HEADS UP to ...

Detection and monitoring of cerebral hemodynamic disturbances with transcranial color-coded duplex sonography in patients after head injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kochanowicz, J.; Mariak, Z.; Lyson, T.; Lewko, J.; Krejza, J.; Bilello, M.

2006-01-01

Reduced cerebral blood flow after severe head injury results in an increased risk of ischemic brain damage. Blood flow should therefore be monitored with a simple, reliable method. Transcranial color-coded Doppler sonography (TCCS) is an accepted tool for the diagnosis of cerebral vasospasm; however, its usefulness in evaluating patients with head injury has not been proven. Cerebral blood-flow velocity in the middle, anterior, and posterior cerebral arteries was measured with a 2.5 MHz probe (Aplio SSA 770A, Toshiba, Japan) in 36 subjects with moderate or severe head injury. Serial measurements of resistance index (RI), peak-systolic, end-diastolic, and mean velocity in the middle cerebral arteries were performed 2-24 h after head trauma and in the subsequent days during hospitalization. Immediately after head trauma, increased RI values, and unusually decreased blood-flow velocity (mainly in MCA) were observed. Microcirculation disturbances were suspected because the end-diastolic velocity had substantially diminished. Changes in blood-flow parameters correlated with the clinical state, and in most cases, a poor prognosis. In some patients, blood-flow velocity increased above the normal reference limit and this implied poor prognosis. Transcranial color-coded Doppler sonography is a reliable, repeatable, and accessible tool that provides information about cerebral blood-flow disturbances and may hold diagnostic and prognostic importance. (orig.)

A review of scientific papers about head and neck cancers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paoli, Severo de; Fonseca, Adenilson de Souza da; Paoli, Flavia de; Geller, Mauro [Centro Universitario Serra dos Orgaos, Teresopolis, RJ (Brazil)]. E-mail: severodepaoli@gmail.com; Presta, Giuseppe Antonio [Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), RJ (Brazil); Santos-Filho, Sebastiao David; Bernardo-Filho, Mario [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Inst. de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes. Dept. de Biofisica e Biometria

2008-12-15

Head and neck cancer is one of the 10 most frequent cancers worldwide, with an estimated 500000 new cases diagnosed annually. Treatment of head and neck cancers require a multidisciplinary approach due their complexity and the functional and esthetic alterations that cancer can cause. The interest of the scientific community in a specific subject can be evaluated by analyzing of the number and the quality of published papers on the topic. The information obtained from PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez) has been used as a tool in various publications to aid the evaluation of the scientific interest in specific research areas The aim of this work is to evaluate, using PubMed, the scientific interest in studies of head and neck cancer treatments such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. The searches were performed on PubMed for publications from the period of 1949 to 2008 using the search terms 'head and neck cancer' and 'surgery' or 'radiotherapy' or 'chemotherapy'. The number of publications per year was determined in each search. The percentage of publications was also calculated for each subject in each year. An interest factor in a subject (IFS) was also determined. The number of publications was higher for surgery than chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The calculated 1964 IFS for surgery was 14.79, 12.74 for radiotherapy, and 19.58 for chemotherapy. The 1995 IFS for surgery was 1.99, 2.09 for radiotherapy, and 2.08 for chemotherapy. The relation obtained for 1995 was maintained in the subsequent years. There are more publications related to surgical treatment for head and neck cancer when compared with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Moreover, in the recent years there has an increased interest in treatments utilizing chemotherapy, or this associated to radiotherapy. (author)

A review of scientific papers about head and neck cancers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paoli, Severo de; Fonseca, Adenilson de Souza da; Paoli, Flavia de; Geller, Mauro; Presta, Giuseppe Antonio; Santos-Filho, Sebastiao David; Bernardo-Filho, Mario

2008-01-01

Head and neck cancer is one of the 10 most frequent cancers worldwide, with an estimated 500000 new cases diagnosed annually. Treatment of head and neck cancers require a multidisciplinary approach due their complexity and the functional and esthetic alterations that cancer can cause. The interest of the scientific community in a specific subject can be evaluated by analyzing of the number and the quality of published papers on the topic. The information obtained from PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez) has been used as a tool in various publications to aid the evaluation of the scientific interest in specific research areas The aim of this work is to evaluate, using PubMed, the scientific interest in studies of head and neck cancer treatments such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. The searches were performed on PubMed for publications from the period of 1949 to 2008 using the search terms 'head and neck cancer' and 'surgery' or 'radiotherapy' or 'chemotherapy'. The number of publications per year was determined in each search. The percentage of publications was also calculated for each subject in each year. An interest factor in a subject (IFS) was also determined. The number of publications was higher for surgery than chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The calculated 1964 IFS for surgery was 14.79, 12.74 for radiotherapy, and 19.58 for chemotherapy. The 1995 IFS for surgery was 1.99, 2.09 for radiotherapy, and 2.08 for chemotherapy. The relation obtained for 1995 was maintained in the subsequent years. There are more publications related to surgical treatment for head and neck cancer when compared with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Moreover, in the recent years there has an increased interest in treatments utilizing chemotherapy, or this associated to radiotherapy. (author)

Accelerometry-based gait analysis, an additional objective approach to screen subjects at risk for falling.

Science.gov (United States)

Senden, R; Savelberg, H H C M; Grimm, B; Heyligers, I C; Meijer, K

2012-06-01

This study investigated whether the Tinetti scale, as a subjective measure for fall risk, is associated with objectively measured gait characteristics. It is studied whether gait parameters are different for groups that are stratified for fall risk using the Tinetti scale. Moreover, the discriminative power of gait parameters to classify elderly according to the Tinetti scale is investigated. Gait of 50 elderly with a Tinneti>24 and 50 elderly with a Tinetti≤24 was analyzed using acceleration-based gait analysis. Validated algorithms were used to derive spatio-temporal gait parameters, harmonic ratio, inter-stride amplitude variability and root mean square (RMS) from the accelerometer data. Clear differences in gait were found between the groups. All gait parameters correlated with the Tinetti scale (r-range: 0.20-0.73). Only walking speed, step length and RMS showed moderate to strong correlations and high discriminative power to classify elderly according to the Tinetti scale. It is concluded that subtle gait changes that have previously been related to fall risk are not captured by the subjective assessment. It is therefore worthwhile to include objective gait assessment in fall risk screening. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association of Oral Microbiome With Risk for Incident Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Richard B; Ahn, Jiyoung; Fan, Xiaozhou; Peters, Brandilyn A; Ma, Yingfei; Yang, Liying; Agalliu, Ilir; Burk, Robert D; Ganly, Ian; Purdue, Mark P; Freedman, Neal D; Gapstur, Susan M; Pei, Zhiheng

2018-03-01

Case-control studies show a possible relationship between oral bacteria and head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). Prospective studies are needed to examine the temporal relationship between oral microbiome and subsequent risk of HNSCC. To prospectively examine associations between the oral microbiome and incident HNSCC. This nested case-control study was carried out in 2 prospective cohort studies: the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort (CPS-II) and the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO). Among 122 004 participants, 129 incident patient cases of HNSCC were identified during an average 3.9 years of follow-up. Two controls per patient case (n = 254) were selected through incidence density sampling, matched on age, sex, race/ethnicity, and time since mouthwash collection. All participants provided mouthwash samples and were cancer-free at baseline. Oral microbiome composition and specific bacterial abundances were determined through bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Overall oral microbiome composition and specific taxa abundances were compared for the case group and the control group, using PERMANOVA and negative binomial generalized linear models, respectively, controlling for age, sex, race, cohort, smoking, alcohol, and oral human papillomavirus-16 status. Taxa with a 2-sided false discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted P-value (q-value) <.10 were considered significant. Incident HNSCC. The study included 58 patient cases from CPS-II (mean [SD] age, 71.0 [6.4] years; 16 [27.6%] women) and 71 patient cases from PLCO (mean [SD] age, 62.7 [4.8] years; 13 [18.3%] women). Two controls per patient case (n = 254) were selected through incidence density sampling, matched on age, sex, race/ethnicity, and time since mouthwash collection. Head and neck squamous cell cancer cases and controls were similar with respect to age, sex, and race. Patients in the case group were more often current tobacco

Risk assessment of tuberculosis in immunocompromised patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sester, Martina; van Leth, Frank; Bruchfeld, Judith

2014-01-01

RATIONALE: In the absence of active tuberculosis, a positive tuberculin skin test (TST) or interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) result defines latent infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, although test results may vary depending on immunodeficiency. OBJECTIVES: This study compared the performance...... of TST and IGRAs in five different groups of immunocompromised patients, and evaluated their ability to identify those at risk for development of tuberculosis. METHODS: Immunocompromised patients with HIV infection, chronic renal failure, rheumatoid arthritis, solid-organ or stem-cell transplantation......, and healthy control subjects were evaluated head-to-head by the TST, QuantiFERON-TB-Gold in-tube test (ELISA), and T-SPOT.TB test (enzyme-linked immunospot) at 17 centers in 11 European countries. Development of tuberculosis was assessed during follow-up. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Frequencies of positive...

Relationship between subjective fall risk assessment and falls and fall-related fractures in frail elderly people

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shimada Hiroyuki

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Objective measurements can be used to identify people with risks of falls, but many frail elderly adults cannot complete physical performance tests. The study examined the relationship between a subjective risk rating of specific tasks (SRRST to screen for fall risks and falls and fall-related fractures in frail elderly people. Methods The SRRST was investigated in 5,062 individuals aged 65 years or older who were utilized day-care services. The SRRST comprised 7 dichotomous questions to screen for fall risks during movements and behaviours such as walking, transferring, and wandering. The history of falls and fall-related fractures during the previous year was reported by participants or determined from an interview with the participant's family and care staff. Results All SRRST items showed significant differences between the participants with and without falls and fall-related fractures. In multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, diseases, and behavioural variables, the SRRST score was independently associated with history of falls and fractures. Odds ratios for those in the high-risk SRRST group (≥ 5 points compared with the no risk SRRST group (0 point were 6.15 (p Conclusion These results suggest that subjective ratings by care staff can be utilized to determine the risks of falls and fall-related fractures in the frail elderly, however, these preliminary results require confirmation in further prospective research.

Artificial gravity: head movements during short-radius centrifugation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Young, L. R.; Hecht, H.; Lyne, L. E.; Sienko, K. H.; Cheung, C. C.; Kavelaars, J.

2001-01-01

Short-radius centrifugation is a potential countermeasure to long-term weightlessness. Unfortunately, head movements in a rotating environment induce serious discomfort, non-compensatory vestibulo-ocular reflexes, and subjective illusions of body tilt. In two experiments we investigated the effects

Head Pose Estimation on Eyeglasses Using Line Detection and Classification Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Setthawong, Pisal; Vannija, Vajirasak

This paper proposes a unique approach for head pose estimation of subjects with eyeglasses by using a combination of line detection and classification approaches. Head pose estimation is considered as an important non-verbal form of communication and could also be used in the area of Human-Computer Interface. A major improvement of the proposed approach is that it allows estimation of head poses at a high yaw/pitch angle when compared with existing geometric approaches, does not require expensive data preparation and training, and is generally fast when compared with other approaches.

Hyperlipidaemia - a risk factor for femoral head osteonecrosis (Legg-Calvè-Perthes-Like disease in children with AIDS: case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula Aguiar de Aragão

Full Text Available Although treatment of children infected with HIV with protease inhibitors has improved the survival of these patients, various adverse side effects have been reported, including metabolic abnormalities, such as hyperlipidaemia. We describe a case of hip osteonecrosis in an adolescent with AIDS who was being treated with protease inhibitors. There is a possible relation with hyperlipidemia. F.M.G., white, 11 years old, AIDS A2, started to receive AZT and DDI when he was 7 years old. In April 1999, the patient had a significant increase in viral load and so the antiretroviral therapy was switched to d4T, 3TC and Ritonavir. Triglyceride plasma levels reached 460mg/dl after this switch and were always above the reference value. In December 1999, the patient complained of pain in the right hip. On physical examination, he had limited movement of this joint. Magnetic resonance imaging of the right hip showed flattening, deformity and fragmentation of the femoral head, compatible with osteonecrosis. Few cases of femoral head osteonecrosis have been associated with HIV infection, in the absence of the classic risk factors for osteonecrosis. Metabolic risk factors include hypertriglyceridaemia. The immunological disorders that occur in the HIV infection may predispose the patient to avascular osteonecrosis and metabolic disorders, particularly hypertriglyceridemia, while the use of protease inhibitors, may be considered an additional risk factor for osteonecrosis. Given the importance of premature diagnosis and to avoid complications of osteonecrosis, we recommend evaluation of musculoskeletal symptoms in children receiving protease inhibitors.

Effect of Intervention in Subjects with High Risk of Diabetes Mellitus in Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Zafar Iqbal Hydrie

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Aims. To observe the rate of conversion from impaired glucose tolerance (IGT to diabetes following lifestyle modification (LSM or a combination of lifestyle and metformin compared to a control population with 18-month followup. Methods. Forty screening camps were organized, which 5000 people attended. Around 2300 persons filled the questionnaire and 1825 subjects were identified as high risk. Of 1739 subjects who took the oral glucose tolerance test, 317 subjects were identified as IGT. The 317 IGT subjects were randomized into three groups: control group was given standard medical advice, LSM group was given intensive lifestyle modification advice, while LSM + drug group was given intensive lifestyle advice and metformin 500 mg twice daily. Results. At the end, 273 subjects completed the study, giving a compliance rate of 86%. Total of 47 incident cases of diabetes were diagnosed (overall incidence was 4 cases per 1000 person-months with the incidence of 8.6 cases in control group, 2.5 cases in the LSM, and 2.3 cases in the LSM + drug groups. Conclusions. Study showed that lifestyle intervention had a major impact in preventing diabetes among IGT subjects in this region. Adding drug did not show any improved results. We recommend lifestyle advice and followup should be incorporated in primary health care.

Identifying early dehydration risk with home-based sensors during radiation treatment: a feasibility study on patients with head and neck cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Susan K; Shinn, Eileen H; Basen-Engquist, Karen; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Prokhorov, Alexander V; Baru, Chaitanya; Krueger, Ingolf H; Farcas, Emilia; Rios, Philip; Garden, Adam S; Beadle, Beth M; Lin, Kai; Yan, Yan; Martch, Stephanie L; Patrick, Kevin

2013-12-01

Systems that enable remote monitoring of patients' symptoms and other health-related outcomes may optimize cancer care outside of the clinic setting. CYCORE (CYberinfrastructure for COmparative effectiveness REsearch) is a software-based prototype for a user-friendly cyberinfrastructure supporting the comprehensive collection and analyses of data from multiple domains using a suite of home-based and mobile sensors. This study evaluated the feasibility of using CYCORE to address early at-home identification of dehydration risk in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. Head and neck cancer patients used home-based sensors to capture weight, blood pressure, pulse, and patient-reported outcomes for two 5-day periods during radiation therapy. Data were sent to the radiation oncologist of each head and neck cancer patient, who viewed them online via a Web-based interface. Feasibility outcomes included study completion rate, acceptability and perceived usefulness of the intervention, and adherence to the monitoring protocol. We also evaluated whether sensor data could identify dehydration-related events. Fifty patients consented to participate, and 48 (96%) completed the study. More than 90% of patients rated their ease, self-efficacy, and satisfaction regarding use of the sensor suite as extremely favorable, with minimal concerns expressed regarding data privacy issues. Patients highly valued the ability to have immediate access to objective, self-monitoring data related to personal risk for dehydration. Clinician assessments indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the ease of using the CYCORE system and the resulting ability to monitor their patients remotely. Implementing CYCORE in a clinical oncology care setting is feasible and highly acceptable to both patients and providers.

Reducing the risk of ventilator-acquired pneumonia through head of bed elevation.

Science.gov (United States)

Keeley, Libby

2007-01-01

It has been suggested that placing critically ill ventilated patients in a semirecumbent position minimizes the likelihood of nosocomial pneumonia. This pilot study explores whether the incidence of ventilator-acquired pneumonia (VAP) can be reduced by elevating the head of the bed to 45 degrees. The design is quantitative in nature, using a randomized controlled trial. The method involves adult ventilated patients being randomly assigned to one of two positions, i.e. 45 degrees raised head of bed (treatment group) or 25 degrees raised head of bed (control group). Data collection relied upon the diagnosis of clinically suspected and microbiologically confirmed pneumonia defined by the Consensus Conference on VAP. Thirty patients were included in the study--17 in the treatment group and 13 in the control group. Results showed that 29% (five) in the treatment group and 54% (seven) in the control group contracted VAP (P VAP in the patients nursed at 45 degrees. However, because of the sample size this difference did not reach statistical significance.

Risks of falls in subjects with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cattaneo, Davide; De Nuzzo, Carmela; Fascia, Teresa; Macalli, Marco; Pisoni, Ivana; Cardini, Roldano

2002-06-01

To quantify fall risk among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and to report the importance of variables associated with falls. Retrospective case-control study design with a 2-group sample of convenience. A hospital and home settings in Italy. A convenience sample of 50 people with MS divided into 2 groups according to their reports of falls. Not applicable. Subjects were assessed with questionnaires for cognitive ability and were measured on their ability to maintain balance, to walk, and to perform daily life activities. Data regarding patients' strength, spasticity, and transfer skills impairment were also collected. No statistical differences were found between groups of fallers and nonfallers using variables pertaining to years after onset, age, gender, and Mini-Mental State Examination. Near statistically significant differences were found in activities of daily living and transfer skills (Pfall status: balance, ability to walk, and use of a cane (Pcane differed between fallers and nonfallers groups and the incidence of those variables can be used as a predictive model to quantify fall risk in patients suffering from MS. These findings emphasize the multifactorial nature of falls in this patient population. Assessment of different aspects of motor impairment and the accurate determination of factors contributing to falls are necessary for individual patient management and therapy and for the development of a prevention program for falls. Copyright 2002 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Thermal effects of whole head submersion in cold water on nonshivering humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Pretorius, Thea; Bristow, Gerald K; Steinman, Alan M; Giesbrecht, Gordon G

2006-08-01

This study isolated the effect of whole head submersion in cold water, on surface heat loss and body core cooling, when the confounding effect of shivering heat production was pharmacologically eliminated. Eight healthy male subjects were studied in 17 degrees C water under four conditions: the body was either insulated or uninsulated, with the head either above the water or completely submersed in each body-insulation subcondition. Shivering was abolished with buspirone (30 mg) and meperidine (2.5 mg/kg), and subjects breathed compressed air throughout all trials. Over the first 30 min of immersion, exposure of the head increased core cooling both in the body-insulated conditions (head out: 0.47 +/- 0.2 degrees C, head in: 0.77 +/- 0.2 degrees C; P body-exposed conditions (head out: 0.84 +/- 0.2 degrees C and head in: 1.17 +/- 0.5 degrees C; P body surface area) in the body-exposed conditions increased total heat loss by only 10%. In both body-exposed and body-insulated conditions, head submersion increased core cooling rate much more (average of 42%) than it increased total heat loss. This may be explained by a redistribution of blood flow in response to stimulation of thermosensitive and/or trigeminal receptors in the scalp, neck and face, where a given amount of heat loss would have a greater cooling effect on a smaller perfused body mass. In 17 degrees C water, the head does not contribute relatively more than the rest of the body to surface heat loss; however, a cold-induced reduction of perfused body mass may allow this small increase in heat loss to cause a relatively larger cooling of the body core.

Mild head injury and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Chasle, Veronique; Riffaud, Laurent; Longuet, Romain; Martineau-Curt, Marie; Collet, Yann; Le Fournier, Luc; Pladys, Patrick

2016-12-01

Post-concussion syndrome is a well-described complication following moderate and severe head trauma but whether it occurs after mild head injury in children remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether exposure to mild head injury with potential additional risk factors (non-surgical lesion on computed tomographic, high kinetic trauma, or Glasgow Coma Scale <15) is associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) after the head trauma. This study was performed in an emergency department on children admitted between 2009 and 2013. It compared victims of mild head injury aged 6-16 years with matched children presenting isolated non-surgical forearm fracture (ratio1/2). ADHD was assessed using Conners' Global Index-Parent short version 3-40 months after the trauma. The patients were compared using chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, t test or u-test as appropriate with a p value set at 0.05. During the study period, 676 patients were admitted for mild head injury. Among them, 34 (5 %) fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were compared with 64 matched patients admitted for a forearm fracture. The groups were comparable. ADHD was observed in both groups (18 % in the mild head injury group, 11 % in the control group) with no significant differences between groups. The prevalence was high when compared to an expected frequency of 3.5-5.6 % in children aged 6-12 years in the general population. These results suggest that pre-existing ADHD may have contributed to injury proneness in both groups and does not argue for a specific risk of ADHD induced by mild head injury. The diagnosis of ADHD should be evoked at admission of children aged 6-16 years presenting with a trauma.

Arsenic methylation capability and hypertension risk in subjects living in arseniasis-hyperendemic areas in southwestern Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Y.-K.; Tseng, C.-H.; Huang, Y.-L.; Yang, M.-H.; Chen, C.-J.; Hsueh, Y.-M.

2007-01-01

Background: Cumulative arsenic exposure (CAE) from drinking water has been shown to be associated with hypertension in a dose-response pattern. This study further explored the association between arsenic methylation capability and hypertension risk among residents of arseniasis-hyperendemic areas in Taiwan considering the effect of CAE and other potential confounders. Method: There were 871 subjects (488 women and 383 men) and among them 372 were diagnosed as having hypertension based on a positive history or measured systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mm Hg. Urinary arsenic species were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-hydride generator and atomic absorption spectrometry. Primary arsenic methylation index [PMI, defined as monomethylarsonic acid (MMA V ) divided by (As III + As V )] and secondary arsenic methylation index (SMI, defined as dimethylarsinic acid divided by MMA V ) were used as indicators for arsenic methylation capability. Results: The level of urinary arsenic was still significantly correlated with cumulative arsenic exposure (CAE) calculated from a questionnaire interview (p = 0.02) even after the residents stopped drinking the artesian well water for 2-3 decades. Hypertensive subjects had higher percentages of MMA V and lower SMI than subjects without hypertension. However, subjects having CAE > 0 mg/L-year had higher hypertension risk than those who had CAE = 0 mg/L-year disregard a high or low methylation index. Conclusion: Inefficient arsenic methylation ability may be related with hypertension risk

Environmental factors and social adjustment as predictors of a first psychosis in subjects at ultra high risk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dragt, Sara; Nieman, Dorien H.; Veltman, Doede; Becker, Hiske E.; van de Fliert, Reinaud; de Haan, Lieuwe; Linszen, Don H.

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND: The onset of schizophrenia is associated with genetic, symptomatic, social and environmental risk factors. The aim of the present study was to determine which environmental factors may contribute to a prediction of a first psychotic episode in subjects at Ultra High Risk (UHR) for

Relationships among head posture, pain intensity, disability and deep cervical flexor muscle performance in subjects with postural neck pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arun V. Subbarayalu, PhD

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Information Technology (IT professionals working with computers gradually develop forward head posture and, as a result, these professionals are susceptible to several neck disorders. This study intended to reveal the relationships between pain intensity, disability, head posture and deep cervical flexor (DCF muscle performance in patients with postural neck pain. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 84 IT professionals who were diagnosed with postural neck pain. The participants were recruited with a random sampling approach. A Visual Analogue Scale (VAS, the Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ, the Modified Head Posture Spinal Curvature Instrument (MHPSCI, and the Stabilizer Pressure Biofeedback Unit were used to measure neck pain intensity, neck disability, head posture, and DCF muscle performance, respectively. Results: The Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a significantly strong positive relationship between the VAS and the NPQ (r = 0.734. The cranio-vertebral (CV angle was found to have a significantly negative correlation with the VAS (r = −0.536 and a weak negative correlation with the NPQ (r = −0.389. Conclusion: This study concluded that a smaller CV angle corresponded to greater neck pain intensity and disability. Furthermore, there is no significant relationship between CV angle and DCF muscle performance, indicating that head posture re-education through postural correction exercises would not completely correct the motor control deficits in DCF muscles. In addition, a suitable exercise regimen that exclusively targets the deep cervical flexor muscle to improve its endurance is warranted. Keywords: Craniovertebral angle, Disability deep cervical flexors muscle performance, Head posture, Postural neck pain

Rotation and direction judgment from visual images head-slaved in two and three degrees-of-freedom.

Science.gov (United States)

Adelstein, B D; Ellis, S R

2000-03-01

The contribution to spatial awareness of adding a roll degree-of-freedom (DOF) to telepresence camera platform yaw and pitch was examined in an experiment where subjects judged direction and rotation of stationary target markers in a remote scene. Subjects viewed the scene via head-slaved camera images in a head-mounted display. Elimination of the roll DOF affected rotation judgment, but only at extreme yaw and pitch combinations, and did not affect azimuth and elevation judgement. Systematic azimuth overshoot occurred regardless of roll condition. Observed rotation misjudgments are explained by kinematic models for eye-head direction of gaze.

Relationship between subjective fall risk assessment and falls and fall-related fractures in frail elderly people

OpenAIRE

Shimada, Hiroyuki; Suzukawa, Megumi; Ishizaki, Tatsuro; Kobayashi, Kumiko; Kim, Hunkyung; Suzuki, Takao

2011-01-01

Abstract Background Objective measurements can be used to identify people with risks of falls, but many frail elderly adults cannot complete physical performance tests. The study examined the relationship between a subjective risk rating of specific tasks (SRRST) to screen for fall risks and falls and fall-related fractures in frail elderly people. Methods The SRRST was investigated in 5,062 individuals aged 65 years or older who were utilized day-care services. The SRRST comprised 7 dichotom...

Epidemiological HIV infection surveillance among subjects with risk behaviours in the city of Messina (Sicily) from 1992 to 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Visalli, G; Avventuroso, E; Laganà, P; Spataro, P; Di Pietro, A; Bertuccio, M P; Picerno, I

2017-09-01

Epidemiological studies are a key element in determining the evolution and spread of HIV infection among the world population. Knowledge of the epidemiological dynamics improves strategies for prevention and monitoring. We examined 2,272 subjects who voluntarily underwent HIV testing from January 1992 to December 2015. For each subject, an anonymous form was completed to obtain information on personal data, sexual habits and exposure to risk factors. The number of subjects undergoing the screening test has increased over the years and the average age of the tested subjects has decreased over time. The main motivation for undergoing HIV testing is unprotected sex. Although heterosexual subjects taking the test were more numerous than homosexuals in this study, an increase in the latter over time should be highlighted. Although the number of tests performed has increased over the years, the persistence of unprotected sex shows an inadequate perception of risk. Therefore, it is necessary to implement programmes to increase the general awareness of HIV infection. It is also essential to undertake constant monitoring of behaviour, risk perception and the application of the screening test via surveillance systems in order to implement effective and efficient prevention.

Mummified trophy heads from Peru: diagnostic features and medicolegal significance.

Science.gov (United States)

Verano, John W

2003-05-01

Several forms of mummified human trophy heads were produced by prehistoric and historic native groups in South America. This paper describes the diagnostic features of trophy heads produced by the Nasca culture of ancient Peru. A growing interest in these mummified heads among collectors of Pre-Columbian art and antiquities has led to their illegal exportation from Peru, in violation of national and international antiquities laws. Requests from the Peruvian government to protect its cultural patrimony led the United States in 1997 to declare these heads as items subject to U.S. import restriction, along with six other categories of human remains. Despite such restrictions, Nasca trophy heads continue to reach private collectors outside of Peru and thus may be encountered by local, state, or federal law enforcement officials unfamiliar with their characteristic features and origin. The objective of this paper is to describe the features that allow Nasca trophy heads to be identified and distinguished from other archaeological and forensic specimens that may be submitted to a forensic anthropologist for identification.

Relationship between ABO blood groups and head and neck cancer among Greek patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kakava, Kassiani; Karelas, Ioannis; Koutrafouris, Ioannis; Damianidis, Savvas; Stampouloglou, Paulos; Papadakis, Georgios; Xenos, Antonios; Krania, Foteini; Sarof, Paulos; Tasopoulos, Georgios; Petridis, Nikolaos

2016-01-01

We examined the association of ABO blood groups with the different types of head and neck cancers. 195 diagnosed cases and 801 controls were selected from a Greek tertiary cancer center. Information regarding type of head and neck cancer and ABO blood group was collected and registered. The O blood group was found to be most prevalent followed by A, B and AB among the controls, whereas blood group A followed by O, B and AB was most prevalent among cancer patients. The difference among the distribution between the cases and controls was statistically significant in blood group A (pblood group A had 1.52-fold higher risk of developing head and neck cancer compared to people of other blood groups. Blood group A was found to be a potential risk factor for the development of head and neck cancers.

Determination of head conductivity frequency response in vivo with optimized EIT-EEG.

Science.gov (United States)

Dabek, Juhani; Kalogianni, Konstantina; Rotgans, Edwin; van der Helm, Frans C T; Kwakkel, Gert; van Wegen, Erwin E H; Daffertshofer, Andreas; de Munck, Jan C

2016-02-15

Electroencephalography (EEG) benefits from accurate head models. Dipole source modelling errors can be reduced from over 1cm to a few millimetres by replacing generic head geometry and conductivity with tailored ones. When adequate head geometry is available, electrical impedance tomography (EIT) can be used to infer the conductivities of head tissues. In this study, the boundary element method (BEM) is applied with three-compartment (scalp, skull and brain) subject-specific head models. The optimal injection of small currents to the head with a modular EIT current injector, and voltage measurement by an EEG amplifier is first sought by simulations. The measurement with a 64-electrode EEG layout is studied with respect to three noise sources affecting EIT: background EEG, deviations from the fitting assumption of equal scalp and brain conductivities, and smooth model geometry deviations from the true head geometry. The noise source effects were investigated depending on the positioning of the injection and extraction electrode and the number of their combinations used sequentially. The deviation from equal scalp and brain conductivities produces rather deterministic errors in the three conductivities irrespective of the current injection locations. With a realistic measurement of around 2 min and around 8 distant distinct current injection pairs, the error from the other noise sources is reduced to around 10% or less in the skull conductivity. The analysis of subsequent real measurements, however, suggests that there could be subject-specific local thinnings in the skull, which could amplify the conductivity fitting errors. With proper analysis of multiplexed sinusoidal EIT current injections, the measurements on average yielded conductivities of 340 mS/m (scalp and brain) and 6.6 mS/m (skull) at 2 Hz. From 11 to 127 Hz, the conductivities increased by 1.6% (scalp and brain) and 6.7% (skull) on the average. The proper analysis was ensured by using recombination of

Head Pose Estimation Using Multilinear Subspace Analysis for Robot Human Awareness

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanov, Tonislav; Matthies, Larry; Vasilescu, M. Alex O.

2009-01-01

Mobile robots, operating in unconstrained indoor and outdoor environments, would benefit in many ways from perception of the human awareness around them. Knowledge of people's head pose and gaze directions would enable the robot to deduce which people are aware of the its presence, and to predict future motions of the people for better path planning. To make such inferences, requires estimating head pose on facial images that are combination of multiple varying factors, such as identity, appearance, head pose, and illumination. By applying multilinear algebra, the algebra of higher-order tensors, we can separate these factors and estimate head pose regardless of subject's identity or image conditions. Furthermore, we can automatically handle uncertainty in the size of the face and its location. We demonstrate a pipeline of on-the-move detection of pedestrians with a robot stereo vision system, segmentation of the head, and head pose estimation in cluttered urban street scenes.

Optimization of an Image-Based Talking Head System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kang Liu

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an image-based talking head system, which includes two parts: analysis and synthesis. The audiovisual analysis part creates a face model of a recorded human subject, which is composed of a personalized 3D mask as well as a large database of mouth images and their related information. The synthesis part generates natural looking facial animations from phonetic transcripts of text. A critical issue of the synthesis is the unit selection which selects and concatenates these appropriate mouth images from the database such that they match the spoken words of the talking head. Selection is based on lip synchronization and the similarity of consecutive images. The unit selection is refined in this paper, and Pareto optimization is used to train the unit selection. Experimental results of subjective tests show that most people cannot distinguish our facial animations from real videos.

Antipsychotic treatment and the risk of hip fracture in subjects with schizophrenia: a 10-year population-based case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Chi-Shin; Chang, Chia-Ming; Tsai, Yu-Ting; Huang, Ya-Wen; Tsai, Hui-Ju

2015-09-01

To investigate the association between antipsychotic treatment and risk of hip fracture in subjects with schizophrenia. Among patients with schizophrenia (ICD-9-CM code 295), 605 cases with hip fracture and 2,828 matched controls were identified from 2002 to 2011 using the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. The authors conducted a nested case-control study to investigate the association between antipsychotic treatment and risk of hip fracture in subjects with schizophrenia. The modifiable effects of age and gender were evaluated by stratified analysis. In addition, the effects of antipsychotic use, antipsychotic classes, and receptor-binding profiles of antipsychotics, individually, on hip fracture were estimated, and potential confounding factors were adjusted in subsequent analysis. Conditional logistic regressions were applied to determine the effect of antipsychotic treatment on hip fracture. Current antipsychotic use was associated with an increased risk for hip fracture (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.61; 95% CI, 1.24-2.10). Among current users, new users had a higher risk of hip fracture (AOR = 4.28; 95% CI, 1.76-10.36) than past users (AOR = 1.11; 95% CI, 0.79-1.56). In addition, a significant increased risk of hip fracture was noted in schizophrenia subjects with first-generation antipsychotic use (AOR = 1.59; 95%CI, 1.15-2.20) but not in those with second-generation antipsychotic use (AOR = 1.16; 95% CI, 0.91-1.48). These results extend previous findings and demonstrate an increased risk of hip fracture associated with antipsychotic use in schizophrenia subjects. Further investigation is needed to dissect the underlying mechanisms related to the effect of antipsychotic use on hip fracture in subjects at risk. © Copyright 2015 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Functional Data Analysis of Spaceflight-Induced Changes in Coordination and Phase in Head Pitch Acceleration During Treadmill Walking

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Christopher; Peters, Brian; Feiveson, Alan; Bloomberg, Jacob

2011-01-01

Astronauts returning from spaceflight experience neurovestibular disturbances during head movements and attempt to mitigate them by limiting head motion. Analyses to date of the head movements made during walking have concentrated on amplitude and variability measures extracted from ensemble averages of individual gait cycles. Phase shifts within each gait cycle can be determined by functional data analysis through the computation of time-warping functions. Large, localized variations in the timing of peaks in head kinematics may indicate changes in coordination. The purpose of this study was to determine timing changes in head pitch acceleration of astronauts during treadmill walking before and after flight. Six astronauts (5M/1F; age = 43.5+/-6.4yr) participated in the study. Subjects walked at 1.8 m/sec (4 mph) on a motorized treadmill while reading optotypes displayed on a computer screen 4 m in front of their eyes. Three-dimensional motion of the subject s head was recorded with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) device. Data were recorded twice before flight and four times after landing. The head pitch acceleration was calculated by taking the time derivative of the pitch velocity data from the IMU. Data for each session with each subject were time-normalized into gait cycles, then registered to align significant features and create a mean curve. The mean curves of each postflight session for each subject were re-registered based on their preflight mean curve to create time-warping functions. The root mean squares (RMS) of these warping functions were calculated to assess the deviation of head pitch acceleration mean curves in each postflight session from the preflight mean curve. After landing, most crewmembers exhibited localized shifts within their head pitch acceleration regimes, with the greatest deviations in RMS occurring on landing day or 1 day after landing. These results show that the alteration of head pitch coordination due to spaceflight may be

CT measurments of cranial growth: normal subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hahn, F.J.; Chu, W.K.; Cheung, J.Y.

1984-01-01

Growth patterns of the cranium measured directly as head circumference have been well documented. With the availability of computed tomography (CT) , cranial dimensions can be obtained easily. The objective of this project was to establish the mean values and their normal variance of CT cranial area of subjects at different ages. Cranial area and its long and short axes were measured on CT scans for 215 neurologic patients of a wide age range who presented no evidence of abnormal growth of head size. Growth patterns of the cranial area as well as the numeric product of it linear dimensions were determined via a curve fitting process. The patterns resemble that of the head circumference growth chart, with the most rapid growth observed in the first 12 months of age and reaching full size during adolescence

Community-based study on CKD subjects and the associated risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Nan; Wang, Weiming; Huang, Yanping; Shen, Pingyan; Pei, Daoling; Yu, Haijin; Shi, Hao; Zhang, Qianying; Xu, Jing; Lv, Yilun; Fan, Qishi

2009-07-01

The study was performed to investigate the prevalence, awareness and the risk factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the community population in Shanghai, China. A total of 2596 residents were randomly recruited from the community population in Shanghai, China. All were screened for albuminuria, haematuria, morning spot urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio and renal function. Serum creatinine, uric acid, cholesterol, triglyceride and haemoglobin were assessed. A simplified MDRD equation was used to estimate the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). All studied subjects were screened by kidney ultrasound. Haematuria, if present in the morning spot urine dipstick test, was confirmed by microscopy. The associations among the demographic characteristics, health characteristics and indicators of kidney damage were examined. Two thousand five hundred and fifty-four residents (n = 2554), after giving informed consent and with complete data, were entered into this study. Albuminuria and haematuria were detected in 6.3% and 1.2% of all the studied subjects, respectively, whereas decreased kidney function was found in 5.8% of all studied subjects. Approximately 11.8% of subjects had at least one indicator of kidney damage. The rate of awareness of CKD was 8.2%. The logistic regression model showed that age, central obesity, hypertension, diabetes, anaemia, hyperuricaemia and nephrolithiasis each contributed to the development of CKD. This is the first Shanghai community-based epidemiological study data on Chinese CKD patients. The prevalence of CKD in the community population in Shanghai is 11.8%, and the rate of awareness of CKD is 8.2%. All the factors including age, central obesity, hypertension, diabetes, anaemia, hyperuricaemia and nephrolithiasis are positively correlated with the development of CKD in our studied subjects.

Relationship between subjective fall risk assessment and falls and fall-related fractures in frail elderly people.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimada, Hiroyuki; Suzukawa, Megumi; Ishizaki, Tatsuro; Kobayashi, Kumiko; Kim, Hunkyung; Suzuki, Takao

2011-08-12

Objective measurements can be used to identify people with risks of falls, but many frail elderly adults cannot complete physical performance tests. The study examined the relationship between a subjective risk rating of specific tasks (SRRST) to screen for fall risks and falls and fall-related fractures in frail elderly people. The SRRST was investigated in 5,062 individuals aged 65 years or older who were utilized day-care services. The SRRST comprised 7 dichotomous questions to screen for fall risks during movements and behaviours such as walking, transferring, and wandering. The history of falls and fall-related fractures during the previous year was reported by participants or determined from an interview with the participant's family and care staff. All SRRST items showed significant differences between the participants with and without falls and fall-related fractures. In multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, diseases, and behavioural variables, the SRRST score was independently associated with history of falls and fractures. Odds ratios for those in the high-risk SRRST group (≥ 5 points) compared with the no risk SRRST group (0 point) were 6.15 (p fall, 15.04 (p falls, and 5.05 (p fall-related fractures. The results remained essentially unchanged in subgroup analysis accounting for locomotion status. These results suggest that subjective ratings by care staff can be utilized to determine the risks of falls and fall-related fractures in the frail elderly, however, these preliminary results require confirmation in further prospective research.

Risk of vertebral fracture after menopause: detection of high risk subjects by dual photon absorptiometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coutris, G.; Talbot, J.N.; Kiffel, T.; Paus, L.; Milhaud, G.

1985-01-01

Dual photon absorptiometry of bone is used to detect in an exposed population those subjects who are high risk of fracture and also to follow up the evolution of these patients. 37 women who have suffered fractures have been compared to 41 women without fractures of similar age distribution. A highly significant correlation between body height and Bone Mineral Content (BMC) of the lumbar spine is found in the control group thus allowing the calculation of the expected BMC value for each patient. A crushing index is defined as the ratio of the observed BMC value to the expected one. Using this index, instead of the two more usual modes of BMC expression, leads to an improvement of the predictive estimation of fracture risk. The predictive value of such indices should still be improved. With this aim, further determinations of indices are desirable. The following requirements should be borne in mind: the physical data should be easily obtainable e.g. body height and weight and the meaning of the index based on these easily verifiable factors they should be easily understood [fr

Comparison of a layered slab and an atlas head model for Monte Carlo fitting of time-domain near-infrared spectroscopy data of the adult head.

Science.gov (United States)

Selb, Juliette; Ogden, Tyler M; Dubb, Jay; Fang, Qianqian; Boas, David A

2014-01-01

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) estimations of the adult brain baseline optical properties based on a homogeneous model of the head are known to introduce significant contamination from extracerebral layers. More complex models have been proposed and occasionally applied to in vivo data, but their performances have never been characterized on realistic head structures. Here we implement a flexible fitting routine of time-domain NIRS data using graphics processing unit based Monte Carlo simulations. We compare the results for two different geometries: a two-layer slab with variable thickness of the first layer and a template atlas head registered to the subject's head surface. We characterize the performance of the Monte Carlo approaches for fitting the optical properties from simulated time-resolved data of the adult head. We show that both geometries provide better results than the commonly used homogeneous model, and we quantify the improvement in terms of accuracy, linearity, and cross-talk from extracerebral layers.

Cortico-Striatal GABAergic and Glutamatergic Dysregulations in Subjects at Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis Investigated with Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes-Madrigal, Francisco; Mao, Xiangling; León-Ortiz, Pablo; Rodríguez-Mayoral, Oscar; Solís-Vivanco, Rodolfo; Favila, Rafael; Graff-Guerrero, Ariel; Shungu, Dikoma C.

2016-01-01

Background: Dysregulations of the major inhibitory and excitatory amino neurotransmitter systems of γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamate, respectively, have been described in patients with schizophrenia. However, it is unclear whether these abnormalities are present in subjects at ultra-high risk for psychosis. Methods: Twenty-three antipsychotic naïve subjects at ultra-high risk and 24 healthy control subjects, matched for age, sex, handedness, cigarette smoking, and parental education, underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy scans in the dorsal caudate bilaterally and the medial prefrontal cortex at 3T. Levels of γ-aminobutyric acid and of the combined resonance of glutamate and glutamine (Glx) were obtained using the standard J-editing technique and expressed as peak area ratios relative to the synchronously acquired unsuppressed voxel water signal. Results: Higher levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (P<.001) and Glx (P=.007) were found in the dorsal caudate of the subjects at ultra-high risk than in the healthy controls. In the medial prefrontal cortex, likewise, both γ-aminobutyric acid (P=.03) and Glx (P=.006) levels were higher in the ultra-high risk group than in the healthy controls. No group differences were found for any of the other metabolites (N-acetylaspartate, total choline, or total creatine) in the 2 regions of interest. Conclusions: This study presents the first evidence of abnormal elevations, in subjects at ultra-high risk, of γ-aminobutyric acid and Glx in 2 brain regions that have been implicated in the pathophysiology of psychosis, warranting longitudinal studies to assess whether these neurotransmitter abnormalities can serve as noninvasive biomarkers of conversion risk to psychosis as well as of illness progression and treatment response. PMID:26364273

Is sense of coherence a predictor of lifestyle changes in subjects at risk for type 2 diabetes?

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsen, V; Bakke, P S; Rohde, G; Gallefoss, F

2015-02-01

To determine whether the sense of coherence (SOC) could predict the outcome of an 18-month lifestyle intervention program for subjects at risk of type 2 diabetes. Subjects at high risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited to a low-intensity lifestyle intervention program by their general practitioners. Weight reduction ≥ 5% and improvement in exercise capacity of ≥ 10% from baseline to follow-up indicated a clinically significant lifestyle change. SOC was measured using the 13-item SOC questionnaire. The study involved 213 subjects with a mean body mass index of 37 (SD ± 6). Complete follow-up data were obtained for 131 (62%). Twenty-six participants had clinically significant lifestyle changes. There was a 21% increase in the odds of a clinically significant lifestyle change for each point increase in the baseline SOC score (odds ratio = 1.21; confidence interval = 1.11-1.32). The success rate was 14 times higher in the highest SOC score tertile group compared with the lowest. High SOC scores were good predictors of successful lifestyle change in subjects at risk of type 2 diabetes. SOC-13 can be used in daily practice to increase clinical awareness on the impact of mastery on the outcome of life-style intervention programs. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

List-Mode PET Motion Correction Using Markerless Head Tracking: Proof-of-Concept With Scans of Human Subject

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Oline Vinter; Sullivan, Jenna M.; Mulnix, Tim

2013-01-01

A custom designed markerless tracking system was demonstrated to be applicable for positron emission tomography (PET) brain imaging. Precise head motion registration is crucial for accurate motion correction (MC) in PET imaging. State-of-the-art tracking systems applied with PET brain imaging rely...... on markers attached to the patient's head. The marker attachment is the main weakness of these systems. A healthy volunteer participating in a cigarette smoking study to image dopamine release was scanned twice for 2 h with $^{11}{\\rm C}$-racolopride on the high resolution research tomograph (HRRT) PET...... in contrast recovery of small structures....

The Effect of Head Positioning and Head Tilting on the Incidence of Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Very Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

de Bijl-Marcus, Karen A; Brouwer, Annemieke J; de Vries, Linda S; van Wezel-Meijler, Gerda

2017-01-01

Despite advances in neonatal intensive care, germinal matrix-intraventricular hemorrhage (GMH-IVH) remains a frequent, serious complication of premature birth. Neutral head position and head tilting have been suggested to reduce the risk of GMH-IVH in preterm infants during the first 72 h of life. The aim of this study was to provide a systematic review of the effect of neutral head positioning and head tilting on the incidence of GMH-IVH in very preterm infants (gestational age ≤30 weeks). In addition, we reviewed their effect on cerebral hemodynamics and oxygenation. Literature was searched (June 2016) in the following electronic databases: CINAHL, Embase, Medline, SCOPUS, and several trial registers. One underpowered trial studied the effect of head positioning on the incidence of GMH-IVH. This randomized controlled trial enrolled 48 preterm infants and found no effect on the occurrence of GMH-IVH. Three observational studies investigated the effect of head rotation and/or tilting on cerebral oxygenation in 68 preterm infants in total. Their results suggest that cerebral oxygenation is not significantly affected by changes in head positioning. The effect of head positioning and/or tilting on cerebral hemodynamics was described in 2 observational studies of 28 preterm infants and found no significant effect. There is insufficient evidence regarding the effect of head positioning and tilting on the incidence of GMH-IVH and cerebral hemodynamics and oxygenation in preterm infants. We recommend further research in this field, especially in extremely preterm and clinically unstable infants during the first postnatal days. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Otolith function in patients with head trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jong Dae; Park, Moo Kyun; Lee, Byung Don; Park, Ji Yun; Lee, Tae Kyung; Sung, Ki-Bum

2011-10-01

This study evaluates the otolith function of patients with head trauma, postulating that otolith dysfunction is a cause of nonspecific dizziness after head trauma. We prospectively enrolled 28 patients referred within 3 months after head trauma between March 2007 and December 2009. Pure tone audiometry, caloric testing and otolith function tests, including cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) and subjective visual vertical (SVV) tests, were performed on all patients. The relationship between otolith function and otologic symptoms was analyzed. Of the 28 patients with head trauma, 18 complained of dizziness and 12 experienced hearing loss, including 6 patients who complained of both. On defining otolith dysfunction as an abnormal cVEMP or abnormal SVV, a significant difference in otolith dysfunction existed between the groups with and without dizziness [72 (13/18) vs. 20% (2/10)]. In contrast, no significant difference in otolith dysfunction was detected between the abnormal and normal hearing groups. A significant number of the patients who complained of nonspecific dizziness after trauma had abnormal otolith function. After trauma, when patients complain of dizziness, vestibular function tests, including otolith function tests, should be considered.

Occupational dust exposure and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma risk in a population-based case–control study conducted in the greater Boston area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langevin, Scott M; McClean, Michael D; Michaud, Dominique S; Eliot, Melissa; Nelson, Heather H; Kelsey, Karl T

2013-01-01

Head and neck cancers account for an estimated 549,000 global cancer diagnoses each year. While tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and HPV16 infection are considered to be the major risk factors for this disease, occupational risk factors, including exposure to asbestos, have also been described, although dust exposures other than asbestos have been historically understudied. We have investigated the relationship between occupational exposures to five types of dusts, including sawdust, concrete dust, leather dust, metal dust, and chimney soot, and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) in the greater Boston area. We report findings from a population-based case–control study involving 951 incident HNSCC cases and 1193 controls, frequency matched on age (±3 years), sex, and town/neighborhood of residence. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between occupational exposure to each type of dust and HNSCC, overall and by primary tumor site. After adjusting for age, sex, race, smoking, alcohol consumption, education, and HPV16 serology, laryngeal carcinoma risk increased for each decade of occupational exposure to sawdust (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.3) and metal dust (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.4); and HNSCC risk increased for each decade of occupational leather dust exposure (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2, 1.9). We have provided evidence for an association between occupational sawdust and metal dust and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and leather dust and HNSCC, with increasing risk with longer duration at the exposed occupation

Occupational dust exposure and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma risk in a population-based case-control study conducted in the greater Boston area.

Science.gov (United States)

Langevin, Scott M; McClean, Michael D; Michaud, Dominique S; Eliot, Melissa; Nelson, Heather H; Kelsey, Karl T

2013-12-01

Head and neck cancers account for an estimated 549,000 global cancer diagnoses each year. While tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and HPV16 infection are considered to be the major risk factors for this disease, occupational risk factors, including exposure to asbestos, have also been described, although dust exposures other than asbestos have been historically understudied. We have investigated the relationship between occupational exposures to five types of dusts, including sawdust, concrete dust, leather dust, metal dust, and chimney soot, and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) in the greater Boston area. We report findings from a population-based case-control study involving 951 incident HNSCC cases and 1193 controls, frequency matched on age (±3 years), sex, and town/neighborhood of residence. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between occupational exposure to each type of dust and HNSCC, overall and by primary tumor site. After adjusting for age, sex, race, smoking, alcohol consumption, education, and HPV16 serology, laryngeal carcinoma risk increased for each decade of occupational exposure to sawdust (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.3) and metal dust (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.4); and HNSCC risk increased for each decade of occupational leather dust exposure (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2, 1.9). We have provided evidence for an association between occupational sawdust and metal dust and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and leather dust and HNSCC, with increasing risk with longer duration at the exposed occupation. © 2013 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Younger age of escalation of cardiovascular risk factors in Asian Indian subjects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gupta Shaon

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cardiovascular risk factors start early, track through the young age and manifest in middle age in most societies. We conducted epidemiological studies to determine prevalence and age-specific trends in cardiovascular risk factors among adolescent and young urban Asian Indians. Methods Population based epidemiological studies to identify cardiovascular risk factors were performed in North India in 1999–2002. We evaluated major risk factors-smoking or tobacco use, obesity, truncal obesity, hypertension, dysglycemia and dyslipidemia using pre-specified definitions in 2051 subjects (male 1009, female 1042 aged 15–39 years of age. Age-stratified analyses were performed and significance of trends determined using regression analyses for numerical variables and Χ2 test for trend for categorical variables. Logistic regression was used to identify univariate and multivariate odds ratios (OR for correlation of age and risk factors. Results In males and females respectively, smoking or tobacco use was observed in 200 (11.8% and 18 (1.4%, overweight or obesity (body mass index, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 in 12.4% and 14.3%, high waist-hip ratio, WHR (males > 0.9, females > 0.8 in 15% and 32.3%, hypertension in 5.6% and 3.1%, high LDL cholesterol (≥ 130 mg/dl in 9.4% and 8.9%, low HDL cholesterol ( Conclusion Low prevalence of multiple cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemias, diabetes and metabolic syndrome in adolescents and rapid escalation of these risk factors by age of 30–39 years is noted in urban Asian Indians. Interventions should focus on these individuals.

Risk estimates for hip fracture from clinical and densitometric variables and impact of database selection in Lebanese subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Badra, Mohammad; Mehio-Sibai, Abla; Zeki Al-Hazzouri, Adina; Abou Naja, Hala; Baliki, Ghassan; Salamoun, Mariana; Afeiche, Nadim; Baddoura, Omar; Bulos, Suhayl; Haidar, Rachid; Lakkis, Suhayl; Musharrafieh, Ramzi; Nsouli, Afif; Taha, Assaad; Tayim, Ahmad; El-Hajj Fuleihan, Ghada

2009-01-01

Bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture incidence vary greatly worldwide. The data, if any, on clinical and densitometric characteristics of patients with hip fractures from the Middle East are scarce. The objective of the study was to define risk estimates from clinical and densitometric variables and the impact of database selection on such estimates. Clinical and densitometric information were obtained in 60 hip fracture patients and 90 controls. Hip fracture subjects were 74 yr (9.4) old, were significantly taller, lighter, and more likely to be taking anxiolytics and sleeping pills than controls. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database selection resulted in a higher sensitivity and almost equal specificity in identifying patients with a hip fracture compared with the Lebanese database. The odds ratio (OR) and its confidence interval (CI) for hip fracture per standard deviation (SD) decrease in total hip BMD was 2.1 (1.45-3.05) with the NHANES database, and 2.11 (1.36-2.37) when adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI). Risk estimates were higher in male compared with female subjects. In Lebanese subjects, BMD- and BMI-derived hip fracture risk estimates are comparable to western standards. The study validates the universal use of the NHANES database, and the applicability of BMD- and BMI-derived risk fracture estimates in the World Health Organization (WHO) global fracture risk model, to the Lebanese.

Sex Differences in High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein in Subjects with Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, Vinicius Pacheco; Rocha, Helena Naly Miguens; Sales, Allan Robson Kluser; Rocha, Natália Galito; Nóbrega, Antonio Claudio Lucas da

2016-01-01

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a prototypic marker of inflammation usually increased in MetS. Women with MetS-related diseases present higher hsCRP levels than men with MetS-related diseases, suggesting sex differences in inflammatory markers. However, it is unclear whether serum hsCRP levels are already increased in men and/or women with MetS risk factors and without overt diseases or under pharmacological treatment. To determine the impact of the number of MetS risk factors on serum hsCRP levels in women and men. One hundred and eighteen subjects (70 men and 48 women; 36 ± 1 years) were divided into four groups according to the number of MetS risk factors: healthy group (CT; no risk factors), MetS ≤ 2, MetS = 3, and MetS ≥ 4. Blood was drawn after 12 hours of fasting for measurement of biochemical variables and hsCRP levels, which were determined by immunoturbidimetric assay. The groups with MetS risk factors presented higher serum hsCRP levels when compared with the CT group (p < 0.02). There were no differences in hsCRP levels among groups with MetS risk factors (p > 0.05). The best linear regression model to explain the association between MetS risk factors and hsCRP levels included waist circumference and HDL cholesterol (r = 0.40, p < 0.01). Women with MetS risk factors presented higher hsCRP levels when compared with men (p sex < 0.01). Despite the absence of overt diseases and pharmacological treatment, subjects with MetS risk factors already presented increased hsCRP levels, which were significantly higher in women than men at similar conditions

Sex Differences in High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein in Subjects with Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia, Vinicius Pacheco; Rocha, Helena Naly Miguens [Laboratório de Ciências do Exercício - Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia - Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ (Brazil); Sales, Allan Robson Kluser [Unidade de Reabilitação Cardiovascular e Fisiologia do Exercício - Instituto do Coração (InCor) - Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Rocha, Natália Galito; Nóbrega, Antonio Claudio Lucas da, E-mail: anobrega@id.uff.br [Laboratório de Ciências do Exercício - Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia - Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ (Brazil)

2016-03-15

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a prototypic marker of inflammation usually increased in MetS. Women with MetS-related diseases present higher hsCRP levels than men with MetS-related diseases, suggesting sex differences in inflammatory markers. However, it is unclear whether serum hsCRP levels are already increased in men and/or women with MetS risk factors and without overt diseases or under pharmacological treatment. To determine the impact of the number of MetS risk factors on serum hsCRP levels in women and men. One hundred and eighteen subjects (70 men and 48 women; 36 ± 1 years) were divided into four groups according to the number of MetS risk factors: healthy group (CT; no risk factors), MetS ≤ 2, MetS = 3, and MetS ≥ 4. Blood was drawn after 12 hours of fasting for measurement of biochemical variables and hsCRP levels, which were determined by immunoturbidimetric assay. The groups with MetS risk factors presented higher serum hsCRP levels when compared with the CT group (p < 0.02). There were no differences in hsCRP levels among groups with MetS risk factors (p > 0.05). The best linear regression model to explain the association between MetS risk factors and hsCRP levels included waist circumference and HDL cholesterol (r = 0.40, p < 0.01). Women with MetS risk factors presented higher hsCRP levels when compared with men (p{sub sex} < 0.01). Despite the absence of overt diseases and pharmacological treatment, subjects with MetS risk factors already presented increased hsCRP levels, which were significantly higher in women than men at similar conditions.

Scoring Rules for Subjective Probability Distributions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harrison, Glenn W.; Martínez-Correa, Jimmy; Swarthout, J. Todd

The theoretical literature has a rich characterization of scoring rules for eliciting the subjective beliefs that an individual has for continuous events, but under the restrictive assumption of risk neutrality. It is well known that risk aversion can dramatically affect the incentives to correctly...... report the true subjective probability of a binary event, even under Subjective Expected Utility. To address this one can “calibrate” inferences about true subjective probabilities from elicited subjective probabilities over binary events, recognizing the incentives that risk averse agents have...... to distort reports. We characterize the comparable implications of the general case of a risk averse agent when facing a popular scoring rule over continuous events, and find that these concerns do not apply with anything like the same force. For empirically plausible levels of risk aversion, one can...

Frequency of Acentric Fragments Are Associated with Cancer Risk in Subjects Exposed to Ionizing Radiation.

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Fucic, A.; Bonassi, S.; Gundy, S.; Šrám, Radim; Ceppi, M.; Lucas, J.N.

2016-01-01

Roč. 36, č. 5 (2016), s. 2451-2457 ISSN 0250-7005 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : ionizing radiation * cancer risk * acentric fragments * chromosomal aberrations Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality Impact factor: 1.937, year: 2016

Pre-pulse inhibition and striatal dopamine in subjects at an ultra-high risk for psychosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Koning, Mariken B.; Bloemen, Oswald J. N.; van Duin, Esther D. A.; Booij, Jan; Abel, Kathryn M.; de Haan, Lieuwe; Linszen, Don H.; van Amelsvoort, Thérèse A. M. J.

2014-01-01

Reduced prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response is thought to represent a robust biomarker in schizophrenia. Reduced PPI has been demonstrated in subjects at ultra high risk (UHR) for developing psychosis. Imaging studies report disruption of striatal dopaminergic

An investigation of head movement with a view to minimising motion artefact during SPECT and PET imaging of the brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, H.; Clarke, G.H.; Guy, R.; McKay, W.J.

1998-01-01

Full text: Motion artefact has long been recognised as a major cause of image degradation. Single Photon Emission Computerised Tomography (SPECT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) of the brain are playing an important role in the diagnosis and management of several neurological disorders. If these imaging modalities are to contribute fully to medical imaging it is essential that the improved spatial resolution of these systems is not compromised by patient movement. Thirty volunteer subjects have been examined using a simple video technique and the video images were used to classify and measure head movements which may occur during brain imaging. All subjects demonstrated angular movement within the transverse plane or rotation of the head. Angular movement within the sagittal plane or flexion/extension of the neck occurred in 69% of subjects and 72% of subjects exhibited translational movement of the sagittal plane. There was no movement of the coronal plane; nor was there any translational movement of the sagittal plane. These results suggest that when positioning the patient's head for brain imaging a system of head restraint which minimises rotation of the head should be used if image quality is to be maintained

Increased Aldosterone Release During Head-Up Tilt in Early Primary Hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Reinold, Annemarie; Schneider, Andreas; Kalizki, Tatjana; Raff, Ulrike; Schneider, Markus P; Schmieder, Roland E; Schmidt, Bernhard M W

2017-05-01

Hyperaldosteronism is well known cause of secondary hypertension. However, the importance of aldosterone for the much larger group of patients with primary hypertension is less clear. We hypothesized that in young subjects with primary hypertension, the rise of plasma aldosterone levels in response to head-up tilt testing as a stress stimulus is exaggerated. Hemodynamics (blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), cardiac index (CI), and total peripheral vascular resistance index (TPRI), all by TaskForce monitor) and hormones (plasma renin activity (PRA), angiotensin II (Ang II), aldosterone) were measured before and during 30 minutes of head-up tilt in 45 young hypertensive and 45 normotensive subjects. BP, HR, CI, and TPRI all increased in response to head-up tilt, with no difference between groups. There was no difference in baseline PRA, Ang II, and aldosterone between groups. During head-up tilt, PRA, and Ang II levels increased similarly. However, aldosterone levels increased to a greater extent in the hypertensive vs. normotensive subjects (P = 0.0021). Our data suggest that an increased release of aldosterone in response to orthostatic stress is a feature of early primary hypertension. The similar increase in PRA and Ang II suggests a potential role for secretagogues of aldosterone other than Ang II in this response. In addition to its established role in secondary hypertension, dysregulation of aldosterone release might contribute to the development of primary arterial hypertension. © American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd 2017. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Germline mutation in RNASEL predicts increased risk of head and neck, uterine cervix and breast cancer.

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Bo Eskerod Madsen

Full Text Available UNLABELLED: THE BACKGROUND: Ribonuclease L (RNASEL, encoding the 2'-5'-oligoadenylate (2-5A-dependent RNase L, is a key enzyme in the interferon induced antiviral and anti-proliferate pathway. Mutations in RNASEL segregate with the disease in prostate cancer families and specific genotypes are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Infection by human papillomavirus (HPV is the major risk factor for uterine cervix cancer and for a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC. HPV, Epstein Barr virus (EBV and sequences from mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV have been detected in breast tumors, and the presence of integrated SV40 T/t antigen in breast carcinomas correlates with an aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis. A genetic predisposition could explain why some viral infections persist and induce cancer, while others disappear spontaneously. This points at RNASEL as a strong susceptibility gene. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To evaluate the implication of an abnormal activity of RNase L in the onset and development of viral induced cancers, the study was initiated by searching for germline mutations in patients diagnosed with uterine cervix cancer. The rationale behind is that close to 100% of the cervix cancer patients have a persistent HPV infection, and if a defective RNase L were responsible for the lack of ability to clear the HPV infection, we would expect to find a wide spectrum of mutations in these patients, leading to a decreased RNase L activity. The HPV genotype was established in tumor DNA from 42 patients diagnosed with carcinoma of the uterine cervix and somatic tissue from these patients was analyzed for mutations by direct sequencing of all coding and regulatory regions of RNASEL. Fifteen mutations, including still uncharacterized, were identified. The genotype frequencies of selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs established in the cervix cancer patients were compared between 382 patients

Portfolio Allocation Subject to Credit Risk

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Rogerio de Deus Oliveira

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Credit Risk is an important dimension to be considered in the risk management procedures of financial institutions. Is a particularly useful in emerging markets where default rates on bank loan products are usually high. It is usually calculated through highly costly Monte Carlo simulations which consider different stochastic factors driving the uncertainly associated to the borrowers liabilities. In this paper, under some restrictions, we drive closed form formulas for the probability distributions of default rates of bank loans products involving a big number of clients. This allows us to quickly obtain the credit risk of such products. Moreover, using these probability distributions, we solve the problem of optimal portfolio allocation under default risk.

A clinical audit of the nutritional status and need for nutrition support amongst head and neck cancer patients treated with radiotherapy

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E Jeffery

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for head and neck cancers but patients often experience side effects which lead to weight loss. Nutrition intervention in the form of counselling or oral nutrition support (ONS is frequently needed for these patients. For some patients, tube feeding is required to minimise weight loss during treatment.MethodData was collected on 48 patients who received radiotherapy to the head and neck region over a nine-month period (June 2009–March 2010. Retrospective data collection was commenced in July 2010. Each patient’s Diet Therapy Department record was reviewed. Main outcome measures were: 1 type of nutrition support; 2 percentage weight change during treatment; and 3 Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment Global (PG-SGA rating.ResultsOn initial assessment 28 (77.8% patients were classified as well nourished using the PG-SGA. Mean weight loss during radiotherapy was 5.74%. Risk factors for the need for ONS and enteral nutrition support (ENS were older age, presence of nutrition impact symptoms, high-risk tumour sites, advanced disease and chemotherapy. No significant difference was shown in weight loss between ONS and ENS groups.ConclusionThis study identified the need for early dietetic intervention for high nutritional risk groups of head and neck cancer patients to prevent significant weight loss. Pre-treatment nutritional status did not influence weight loss during treatment. ONS alone cannot prevent significant weight loss in patients with multiple nutrition impact symptoms. Early enteral feeding should be considered in this group of patients.

Sex Differences in High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein in Subjects with Risk Factors of Metabolic Syndrome

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Vinicius Pacheco Garcia

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP is a prototypic marker of inflammation usually increased in MetS. Women with MetS-related diseases present higher hsCRP levels than men with MetS-related diseases, suggesting sex differences in inflammatory markers. However, it is unclear whether serum hsCRP levels are already increased in men and/or women with MetS risk factors and without overt diseases or under pharmacological treatment. Objective: To determine the impact of the number of MetS risk factors on serum hsCRP levels in women and men. Methods One hundred and eighteen subjects (70 men and 48 women; 36 ± 1 years were divided into four groups according to the number of MetS risk factors: healthy group (CT; no risk factors, MetS ≤ 2, MetS = 3, and MetS ≥ 4. Blood was drawn after 12 hours of fasting for measurement of biochemical variables and hsCRP levels, which were determined by immunoturbidimetric assay. Results: The groups with MetS risk factors presented higher serum hsCRP levels when compared with the CT group (p 0.05. The best linear regression model to explain the association between MetS risk factors and hsCRP levels included waist circumference and HDL cholesterol (r = 0.40, p < 0.01. Women with MetS risk factors presented higher hsCRP levels when compared with men (psex < 0.01. Conclusions: Despite the absence of overt diseases and pharmacological treatment, subjects with MetS risk factors already presented increased hsCRP levels, which were significantly higher in women than men at similar conditions.

A Novel Method for Intraoral Access to the Superior Head of the Human Lateral Pterygoid Muscle

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Aleli Tôrres Oliveira

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The uncoordinated activity of the superior and inferior parts of the lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM has been suggested to be one of the causes of temporomandibular joint (TMJ disc displacement. A therapy for this muscle disorder is the injection of botulinum toxin (BTX, of the LPM. However, there is a potential risk of side effects with the injection guide methods currently available. In addition, they do not permit appropriate differentiation between the two bellies of the muscle. Herein, a novel method is presented to provide intraoral access to the superior head of the human LPM with maximal control and minimal hazards. Methods. Computational tomography along with digital imaging software programs and rapid prototyping techniques were used to create a rapid prototyped guide to orient BTX injections in the superior LPM. Results. The method proved to be feasible and reliable. Furthermore, when tested in one volunteer it allowed precise access to the upper head of LPM, without producing side effects. Conclusions. The prototyped guide presented in this paper is a novel tool that provides intraoral access to the superior head of the LPM. Further studies will be necessary to test the efficacy and validate this method in a larger cohort of subjects.

Development of Head Injury Assessment Reference Values Based on NASA Injury Modeling

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Somers, Jeffrey T.; Melvin, John W.; Tabiei, Ala; Lawrence, Charles; Ploutz-Snyder, Robert; Granderson, Bradley; Feiveson, Alan; Gernhardt, Michael; Patalak, John

2011-01-01

NASA is developing a new capsule-based, crewed vehicle that will land in the ocean, and the space agency desires to reduce the risk of injury from impact during these landings. Because landing impact occurs for each flight and the crew might need to perform egress tasks, current injury assessment reference values (IARV) were deemed insufficient. Because NASCAR occupant restraint systems are more effective than the systems used to determine the current IARVs and are similar to NASA s proposed restraint system, an analysis of NASCAR impacts was performed to develop new IARVs that may be more relevant to NASA s context of vehicle landing operations. Head IARVs associated with race car impacts were investigated by completing a detailed analysis of all of the 2002-2008 NASCAR impact data. Specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to select 4071 impacts from the 4015 recorder files provided (each file could contain multiple impact events). Of the 4071 accepted impacts, 274 were selected for numerical simulation using a custom NASCAR restraint system and Humanetics Hybrid-III 50th percentile numerical dummy model in LS-DYNA. Injury had occurred in 32 of the 274 selected impacts, and 27 of those injuries involved the head. A majority of the head injuries were mild concussions with or without brief loss of consciousness. The 242 non-injury impacts were randomly selected and representative of the range of crash dynamics present in the total set of 4071 impacts. Head dynamics data (head translational acceleration, translational change in velocity, rotational acceleration, rotational velocity, HIC-15, HIC-36, and the Head 3ms clip) were filtered according to SAE J211 specifications and then transformed to a log scale. The probability of head injury was estimated using a separate logistic regression analysis for each log-transformed predictor candidate. Using the log transformation constrains the estimated probability of injury to become negligible as IARVs approach

Head Impact Biomechanics in Women's College Soccer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynall, Robert C; Clark, Michael D; Grand, Erin E; Stucker, Jaclyn C; Littleton, Ashley C; Aguilar, Alain J; Petschauer, Meredith A; Teel, Elizabeth F; Mihalik, Jason P

2016-09-01

There are limited nonlaboratory soccer head impact biomechanics data. This is surprising given soccer's global popularity. Epidemiological data suggest that female college soccer players are at a greater concussion injury risk than their male counterparts. Therefore, the purposes of our study were to quantify head impact frequency and magnitude during women's soccer practices and games in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and to characterize these data across event type, playing position, year on the team, and segment of game (first and second halves). Head impact biomechanics were collected from female college soccer players (n = 22; mean ± SD age = 19.1 ± 0.1 yr, height = 168.0 ± 3.5 cm, mass = 63.7 ± 6.0 kg). We employed a helmetless head impact measurement device (X2 Biosystems xPatch) before each competition and practice across a single season. Peak linear and rotational accelerations were categorized based on impact magnitude and subsequently analyzed using appropriate nonparametric analyses. Overall, women's college soccer players experience approximately seven impacts per 90 min of game play. The overwhelming majority (~90%) of all head impacts were categorized into our mildest linear acceleration impact classification (10g-20g). Interestingly, a higher percentage of practice impacts in the 20g-40g range compared with games (11% vs 7%) was observed. Head impact biomechanics studies have provided valuable insights into understanding collision sports and for informing evidence-based rule and policy changes. These have included changing the football kickoff, ice hockey body checking ages, and head-to-head hits in both sports. Given soccer's global popularity, and the growing public concern for the potential long-term neurological implications of collision and contact sports, studying soccer has the potential to impact many athletes and the sports medicine professionals caring for them.

Impact of head and neck cancer adaptive radiotherapy to spare the parotid glands and decrease the risk of xerostomia.

Science.gov (United States)

Castelli, Joel; Simon, Antoine; Louvel, Guillaume; Henry, Olivier; Chajon, Enrique; Nassef, Mohamed; Haigron, Pascal; Cazoulat, Guillaume; Ospina, Juan David; Jegoux, Franck; Benezery, Karen; de Crevoisier, Renaud

2015-01-09

Large anatomical variations occur during the course of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for locally advanced head and neck cancer (LAHNC). The risks are therefore a parotid glands (PG) overdose and a xerostomia increase. The purposes of the study were to estimate: - the PG overdose and the xerostomia risk increase during a "standard" IMRT (IMRTstd); - the benefits of an adaptive IMRT (ART) with weekly replanning to spare the PGs and limit the risk of xerostomia. Fifteen patients received radical IMRT (70 Gy) for LAHNC. Weekly CTs were used to estimate the dose distributions delivered during the treatment, corresponding either to the initial planning (IMRTstd) or to weekly replanning (ART). PGs dose were recalculated at the fraction, from the weekly CTs. PG cumulated doses were then estimated using deformable image registration. The following PG doses were compared: pre-treatment planned dose, per-treatment IMRTstd and ART. The corresponding estimated risks of xerostomia were also compared. Correlations between anatomical markers and dose differences were searched. Compared to the initial planning, a PG overdose was observed during IMRTstd for 59% of the PGs, with an average increase of 3.7 Gy (10.0 Gy maximum) for the mean dose, and of 8.2% (23.9% maximum) for the risk of xerostomia. Compared to the initial planning, weekly replanning reduced the PG mean dose for all the patients (pxerostomia by 11% (pxerostomia risk.

Objective but Not Subjective Short Sleep Duration Associated with Increased Risk for Hypertension in Individuals with Insomnia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bathgate, Christina J; Edinger, Jack D; Wyatt, James K; Krystal, Andrew D

2016-05-01

To examine the relationship between hypertension prevalence in individuals with insomnia who have short total sleep duration insomnia disorder (MAge = 46.2 y, SDAge = 13.7 y) participated in this study at two large university medical centers. Two nights of polysomnography, 2 w of sleep diaries, questionnaires focused on sleep, medical, psychological, and health history, including presence/absence of hypertension were collected. Logistic regressions assessed the odds ratios of hypertension among persons with insomnia with short sleep duration insomnia with a sleep duration ≥ 6 h, measured both objectively and subjectively. Consistent with previous studies using objective total sleep duration, individuals with insomnia and short sleep duration insomnia with sleep duration ≥ 6 h. Increased risk for hypertension was independent of major confounding factors frequently associated with insomnia or hypertension. No significant risk was observed using subjectively determined total sleep time groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis found that the best balance of sensitivity and specificity using subjective total sleep time was at a 6-h cutoff, but the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve showed low accuracy and did not have good discriminant value. Objectively measured short sleep duration increased the odds of reporting hypertension more than threefold after adjusting for potential confounders; this relationship was not significant for subjectively measured sleep duration. This research supports emerging evidence that insomnia with objective short sleep duration is associated with an increased risk of comorbid hypertension. © 2016 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

An Assessment of Technical and Production Risks of Candidate Low-Cost Attitude/Heading Reference Systems(AHRS)

Science.gov (United States)

Yuchnovicz, Daniel; Burgess, Malcolm; Hammers, William

1999-01-01

This report provides an assessment of technical and production risks of candidate low-cost attitude/heading reference systems (AHRS) for use in the Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiments (AGATE) airplanes. A low-cost AHRS is a key component of modem "glass cockpit" flight displays for General Aviation (GA) aircraft. The technical capabilities of several candidate low-cost AHRS were examined and described along with the technical issues involved with using all solid-state components for attitude measurement. An economic model was developed which describes the expected profit, rate of return, and volume requirements for the manufacture of low-cost AHRS for GA aircraft in the 2000 to 2020 time frame. The model is the result of interviews with GA airframe manufacturers, avionics manufacturers and historical analysis of avionics of similar complexity. The model shows that a manufacturer will break even after three years of AHRS production, realizing an 18 percent rate of return (23 percent profit) on an investment of $3.5M over the 20 year period. A start-up production estimate showed costs of $6-12M for a new company to build and certify an AHRS from scratch, considered to be a high-risk proposition, versus $0.25-0.75M for an experienced avionics manufacturer to manufacture a design under license, a low-risk proposition.

Can body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio and waist-height ratio predict the presence of multiple metabolic risk factors in Chinese subjects?

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Lu Liping

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Obesity is associated with metabolic risk factors. Body mass index (BMI, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio (WHR and waist-height ratio (WHtR are used to predict the risk of obesity related diseases. However, it has not been examined whether these four indicators can detect the clustering of metabolic risk factors in Chinese subjects. Methods There are 772 Chinese subjects in the present study. Metabolic risk factors including high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and glucose intolerance were identified according to the criteria from WHO. All statistical analyses were performed separately according to sex by using the SPSS 12.0. Results BMI, waist circumference and WHtR values were all significantly associated with blood pressure, glucose, triglyceride and also with the number of metabolic risk factors in both male and female subjects (all of P Conclusion The BMI, waist circumference and WHtR values can similarly predict the presence of multiple metabolic risk factors in Chinese subjects.

Role of age and injury mechanism on cervical spine injury tolerance from head contact loading.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoganandan, Narayan; Chirvi, Sajal; Voo, Liming; Pintar, Frank A; Banerjee, Anjishnu

2018-02-17

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of age and injury mechanism on cervical spine tolerance to injury from head contact loading using survival analysis. This study analyzed data from previously conducted experiments using post mortem human subjects (PMHS). Group A tests used the upright intact head-cervical column experimental model. The inferior end of the specimen was fixed, the head was balanced by a mechanical system, and natural lordosis was removed. Specimens were placed on a testing device via a load cell. The piston applied loading at the vertex region. Spinal injuries were identified using medical images. Group B tests used the inverted head-cervical column experimental model. In one study, head-T1 specimens were fixed distally, and C7-T1 joints were oriented anteriorly, preserving lordosis. Torso mass of 16 kg was added to the specimen. In another inverted head-cervical column study, occiput-T2 columns were obtained, an artificial head was attached, T1-T2 was fixed, C4-C5 disc was maintained horizontal in the lordosis posture, and C7-T1 was unconstrained. The specimens were attached to the drop test carriage carrying a torso mass of 15 kg. A load cell at the inferior end measured neck loads in both studies. Axial neck force and age were used as the primary response variable and covariate to derive injury probability curves using survival analysis. Group A tests showed that age is a significant (P < .05) and negative covariate; that is, increasing age resulted in decreasing force for the same risk. Injuries were mainly vertebral body fractures and concentrated at one level, mid-to-lower cervical spine, and were attributed to compression-related mechanisms. However, age was not a significant covariate for the combined data from group B tests. Both group B tests produced many soft tissue injuries, at all levels, from C1 to T1. The injury mechanism was attributed to mainly extension. Multiple and noncontiguous injuries occurred

A historical review of head and neck cancer in celebrities.

Science.gov (United States)

Folz, B J; Ferlito, A; Weir, N; Pratt, L W; Rinaldo, A; Werner, J A

2007-06-01

The illnesses of celebrity patients always receive more attention from the general public than those of ordinary patients. With regard to cancer, this fact has helped to spread information about the four major malignancies: breast cancer, prostatic cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancer. Head and neck cancer, on the other hand, is still not well recognised by the lay public, although the risk factors are similar to those of lung cancer. It was the objective of this analysis to identify cases of celebrity patients, the description of which could help to increase awareness of head and neck cancer, its symptoms and risk factors. The Internet and medical literature databases were searched for celebrity patients who had suffered from head and neck cancer. The search revealed numerous famous head and neck cancer patients. However, only seven cases were documented well in the medical literature. Among the identified persons were one emperor, two United States presidents, a legendary composer, a world-renowned medical doctor, an outstanding athlete and an extraordinary entertainer. In spite of their exclusive position in society, these patients did not have a better prognosis compared with ordinary patients of their time. Only two of the group experienced long term survival and only one was cured. None of these influential figures used their influence to fund research or to promote knowledge about their respective diseases. The identified cases could help increase public awareness of head and neck cancer. Similar to activities in other oncologic fields, current celebrity head and neck cancer patients should be encouraged to discuss their diseases openly, which could have a positive effect on public health.

White or yellow light for vehicle head-lamps? : arguments in the discussion in the colour of vehicle head-lamps.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schreuder, D.A.

1976-01-01

A research has been carried out as complete as possible to the validity of all arguments that have been put forward in the literature about the subject white versus yellow head-lamps in the cause of time. This book is an English translation of B 5931, B 5932, B 6507 and B 6703 (IRRD Nos. 211879,

The effect of head size/shape, miscentering, and bowtie filter on peak patient tissue doses from modern brain perfusion 256-slice CT: How can we minimize the risk for deterministic effects?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perisinakis, Kostas; Seimenis, Ioannis; Tzedakis, Antonis; Papadakis, Antonios E.; Damilakis, John

2013-01-01

Purpose: To determine patient-specific absorbed peak doses to skin, eye lens, brain parenchyma, and cranial red bone marrow (RBM) of adult individuals subjected to low-dose brain perfusion CT studies on a 256-slice CT scanner, and investigate the effect of patient head size/shape, head position during the examination and bowtie filter used on peak tissue doses. Methods: The peak doses to eye lens, skin, brain, and RBM were measured in 106 individual-specific adult head phantoms subjected to the standard low-dose brain perfusion CT on a 256-slice CT scanner using a novel Monte Carlo simulation software dedicated for patient CT dosimetry. Peak tissue doses were compared to corresponding thresholds for induction of cataract, erythema, cerebrovascular disease, and depression of hematopoiesis, respectively. The effects of patient head size/shape, head position during acquisition and bowtie filter used on resulting peak patient tissue doses were investigated. The effect of eye-lens position in the scanned head region was also investigated. The effect of miscentering and use of narrow bowtie filter on image quality was assessed. Results: The mean peak doses to eye lens, skin, brain, and RBM were found to be 124, 120, 95, and 163 mGy, respectively. The effect of patient head size and shape on peak tissue doses was found to be minimal since maximum differences were less than 7%. Patient head miscentering and bowtie filter selection were found to have a considerable effect on peak tissue doses. The peak eye-lens dose saving achieved by elevating head by 4 cm with respect to isocenter and using a narrow wedge filter was found to approach 50%. When the eye lies outside of the primarily irradiated head region, the dose to eye lens was found to drop to less than 20% of the corresponding dose measured when the eye lens was located in the middle of the x-ray beam. Positioning head phantom off-isocenter by 4 cm and employing a narrow wedge filter results in a moderate reduction of

Use of Head Guards in AIBA Boxing Tournaments-A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Loosemore, Michael P; Butler, Charles F; Khadri, Abdelhamid; McDonagh, David; Patel, Vimal A; Bailes, Julian E

2017-01-01

This study looks at the changes in injuries after the implementation of a new rule by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) to remove head guards from its competitions. A cross-sectional observational study performed prospectively. This brief report examines the removal of head guards in 2 different ways. The first was to examine the stoppages due to blows to the head by comparing World Series Boxing (WSB), without head guards, to other AIBA competitions with head guards. Secondly, we examined the last 3 world championships: 2009 and 2011 (with head guards) and 2013 (without head guards). World Series Boxing and AIBA world championship boxing. Boxers from WSB and AIBA world championships. The information was recorded by ringside medical physicians. Stoppages per 10 000 rounds; stoppages per 1000 hours. Both studies show that the number of stoppages due to head blows was significantly decreased without head guards. The studies also showed that there was a notable increase in cuts. Removing head guards may reduce the already small risk of acute brain injury in amateur boxing.

Mining Social Tagging Data for Enhanced Subject Access for Readers and Researchers

Science.gov (United States)

Lawson, Karen G.

2009-01-01

Social tagging enables librarians to partner with users to provide enhanced subject access. This paper quantifies and compares LC subject headings from each of 31 different subject divisions with user tags from Amazon.com and LibraryThing assigned to the same titles. The intersection and integration of these schemas is described and evaluated.…

Hyponatremia, all-cause mortality, and risk of cancer diagnoses in the primary care setting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Selmer, Christian; Madsen, Jesper Clausager; Torp-Pedersen, Christian

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Hyponatremia has been associated with increased all-cause mortality in hospitalized individuals. In this study we examine the risk of all-cause mortality in primary care subjects with hyponatremia, while also exploring the association with subsequent diagnosis of cancer. METHODS...... was all-cause mortality, and secondary outcomes overall and specific types of cancer diagnoses. RESULTS: Among 625,114 included subjects (mean age 49.9 [SD±18.4] years; 43.5% males), 90,926 (14.5%) deaths occurred. All-cause mortality was increased in mild, moderate, and severe hyponatremia (age...... of hyponatremia are associated with all-cause mortality in primary care patients and hyponatremia is linked to an increased risk of being diagnosed with any cancer, particularly pulmonary and head and neck cancers....

Subjective social status and psychosocial and metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular disease among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramanyam, Malavika A; Diez-Roux, Ana V; Hickson, Demarc A; Sarpong, Daniel F; Sims, Mario; Taylor, Herman A; Williams, David R; Wyatt, Sharon B

2012-04-01

Subjective social status has been shown to be inversely associated with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, independent of objective social status. However, few studies have examined this association among African Americans and the results have been mixed. Additionally, the influence of discrimination on this relationship has not been explored. Using baseline data (2000-2004) from the Jackson Heart Study, an African American cohort from the U.S. South (N=5301), we quantified the association of subjective social status with selected cardiovascular risk factors: depressive symptoms, perceived stress, waist circumference, insulin resistance and prevalence of diabetes. We contrasted the strength of the associations of these outcomes with subjective versus objective social status and examined whether perceived discrimination confounded or modified these associations. Subjective social status was measured using two 10-rung "ladders," using the U.S. and the community as referent groups. Objective social status was measured using annual family income and years of schooling completed. Gender-specific multivariable linear and logistic regression models were fit to examine associations. Subjective and objective measures were weakly positively correlated. Independent of objective measures, subjective social status was significantly inversely associated with depressive symptoms (men and women) and insulin resistance (women). The associations of subjective social status with the outcomes were modest and generally similar to the objective measures. We did not find evidence that perceived racial discrimination strongly confounded or modified the association of subjective social status with the outcomes. Subjective social status was related to depressive symptoms but not consistently to stress or metabolic risk factors in African Americans. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Kinematics of the AM-50 heading machine cutting head

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sikora, W; Bak, K; Klich, R [Politechnika Slaska, Gliwice (Poland). Instytut Mechanizacji Gornictwa

1987-01-01

Analyzes motion of the cutter head of the AM-50 heading machine. Two types of head motion are comparatively evaluated: planar motion and spatial motion. The spatial motion consists of the head rotational motion and horizontal or vertical feed motion, while planar motion consists of rotational motion and vertical feed motion. Equations that describe head motion under conditions of cutter vertical or horizontal feed motion are derived. The angle between the cutting speed direction and working speed direction is defined. On the basis of these formulae variations of cutting speed depending on the cutting tool position on a cutter head are calculated. Calculations made for 2 extreme cutting tools show that the cutting speed ranges from 1,205 m/s to 3,512 m/s. 4 refs.

Second cancers following radiotherapy for early stage head and neck cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibuya, Hitoshi; Yoshimura, Ryo-ichi; Oota, Sayako; Watanabe, Hiroshi; Miura, Masahiko

2005-01-01

Different site specificity of second primary cancer following treatment for early stage squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck was found in the analysis of post-treatment long-term follow up cases. The highest risk of second primary cancer was observed in the oro-hypo-pharynx cancer groups, and the lowest risks were observed in the epi-pharynx cancer and maxillary sinus cancer groups. Squamous cell carcinoma in the irradiated head and neck region with long latency periods could be included in the radiation induced cancer from comparison with post-irradiation cases for malignant lymphoma, benign diseases as well as breast cancers. (author)

Osteochondral lesion of the bilateral femoral heads in a young athletic patient

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jung Eun; Ryu, Kyung Nam; Park, Ji Seon; Cho, Yoon Je [Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, So Hee; Park, So Young; Jin, Wook [Dept. of Radiology, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Kyung Ryeol [Dept. of Radiology, Jeju National University Hospital, Jeju (Korea, Republic of)

2014-12-15

Osteochondral lesions of the femoral head are uncommon and few studies have reported their imaging findings. Since joints are at risk of early degeneration after osteochondral damage, timely recognition is important. Osteochondral lesions of femoral head may often be necessary to differentiate from avascular necrosis. Here, we report a case of osteochondral lesions on bilateral femoral heads. This lesion manifested as subchondral cysts in initial radiographs, which led to further evaluation by computed tomography arthrography and magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed overlying cartilage defects.

A functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging study of neurohemodynamic abnormalities during emotion processing in subjects at high risk for schizophrenia

Science.gov (United States)

Venkatasubramanian, Ganesan; Puthumana, Dawn Thomas K.; Jayakumar, Peruvumba N.; Gangadhar, B. N.

2010-01-01

Background: Emotion processing abnormalities are considered among the core deficits in schizophrenia. Subjects at high risk (HR) for schizophrenia also show these deficits. Structural neuroimaging studies examining unaffected relatives at high risk for schizophrenia have demonstrated neuroanatomical abnormalities involving neo-cortical and sub-cortical brain regions related to emotion processing. The brain functional correlates of emotion processing in these HR subjects in the context of ecologically valid, real-life dynamic images using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has not been examined previously. Aim: To examine the neurohemodynamic abnormalities during emotion processing in unaffected subjects at high risk for schizophrenia in comparison with age-, sex-, handedness- and education-matched healthy controls, using fMRI. Materials and Methods: HR subjects for schizophrenia (n=17) and matched healthy controls (n=16) were examined. The emotion processing of fearful facial expression was examined using a culturally appropriate and valid tool for Indian subjects. The fMRI was performed in a 1.5-T scanner during an implicit emotion processing paradigm. The fMRI analyses were performed using the Statistical Parametric Mapping 2 (SPM2) software. Results: HR subjects had significantly reduced brain activations in left insula, left medial frontal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, right cingulate gyrus, right precentral gyrus and right inferior parietal lobule. Hypothesis-driven region-of-interest analysis revealed hypoactivation of right amygdala in HR subjects. Conclusions: Study findings suggest that neurohemodynamic abnormalities involving limbic and frontal cortices could be potential indicators for increased vulnerability toward schizophrenia. The clinical utility of these novel findings in predicting the development of psychosis needs to be evaluated. PMID:21267363

Cancer of the head and neck

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leignel, D.; Toledano, A.; Calais, G.; Gardner, M.; Valinta, D.; Halimi, P.; Alberini, J.L.; Plantet, M.M.; Banal, A.; Hans, S.; Floiras, J.L.; Labib, A.; Djemaa, A.; Naoun, L.; Bali, M.; Melais, K.; George, L.; Cazalet, M.; Gross, E.; Padovani, L.; Cowen, D.; Pignon, T.; Bannour, N.; Guedouar, R.; Bouaouina, N.; Mege, A.; Lapeyre, M.; Graff, P.; Marchesi, V.; Aletti, P.; Marchal, C.; Peiffert, D.; Serre, A.; Ailleres, N.; Lemanski, C.; Hay, M.H.; Llacer Moscardo, C.; Allaw, A.; Azria, D.; Dubois, J.B.; Fenoglietto, P.; Maalej, M.; Nasr, C.; Chaari, N.; Hentati, D.; Kochbati, L.; Besbes, M.; Benjelloun, H.; Benchakroun, N.; Houjami, M.; Jouhadi, H.; Tawfiq, N.; Acharki, A.; Sahraoui, S.; Benider, A.; Racadot, S.; Mercier, M.; Dessard-Diana, B.; Bensadoun, R.J.; Martin, M.; Malaurie, E.; Favrel, V.; Housset, M.; Journel, C.; Calais, G.; Huet, J.; Pillet, G.; Hennequin, C.; Haddad, E.; Diana, C.; Blaska-Jaulerry, B.; Henry-Amar, M.; Gehanno, P.; Baillet, F.; Mazeron, J.J.; Chaouache, C.K.; Tebra Mrad, T.M.S.; Bannour, B.N.S.; Bouaouina, B.N.; Favrel, V.; Khodri, M.; Chapet, O.; Nguyen, D.; Ardiet, J.; Romestaing, P.; Thillays, F.; Bardet, E.; Rolland, F.; Maingan, P.; Campion, L.; Mahe, M.A.

2005-01-01

Thirteen articles are presented in relation with head and neck cancer. Chemoradiotherapy, medical examinations using nuclear techniques such PET scanning, fractionated radiotherapy after a chemotherapy, analysis of dose volume for patients treated by irradiation with a combined chemotherapy, dosimetry, conformal radiotherapy with intensity modulation, dosimetry in brachytherapy, association of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of nose pharynx carcinomas, recurrence, are the different subjects treated in this part. (N.C.)

Risk of maltreatment-related injury: a cross-sectional study of children under five years old admitted to hospital with a head or neck injury or fracture.

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Joseph Jonathan Lee

Full Text Available To determine the predictive value and sensitivity of demographic features and injuries (indicators for maltreatment-related codes in hospital discharge records of children admitted with a head or neck injury or fracture.Population-based, cross sectional study.NHS hospitals in England.Children under five years old admitted acutely to hospital with head or neck injury or fracture.Hospital Episodes Statistics, 1997 to 2009.Maltreatment-related injury admissions, defined by ICD10 codes, were used to calculate for each indicator (demographic feature and/or type of injury: i the predictive value (proportion of injury admissions that were maltreatment-related; ii sensitivity (proportion of all maltreatment-related injury admissions with the indicator.Of 260,294 childhood admissions for fracture or head or neck injury, 3.2% (8,337 were maltreatment-related. With increasing age of the child, the predictive value for maltreatment-related injury declined but sensitivity increased. Half of the maltreatment-related admissions occurred in children older than one year, and 63% occurred in children with head injuries without fractures or intracranial injury.Highly predictive injuries accounted for very few maltreatment-related admissions. Protocols that focus on high-risk injuries may miss the majority of maltreated children.

Effects of External Loads on Human Head Movement Control Systems

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Nam, M. H.; Choi, O. M.

1984-01-01

The central and reflexive control strategies underlying movements were elucidated by studying the effects of external loads on human head movement control systems. Some experimental results are presented on dynamic changes weigh the addition of aviation helmet (SPH4) and lead weights (6 kg). Intended time-optimal movements, their dynamics and electromyographic activity of neck muscles in normal movements, and also in movements made with external weights applied to the head were measured. It was observed that, when the external loads were added, the subject went through complex adapting processes and the head movement trajectory and its derivatives reached steady conditions only after transient adapting period. The steady adapted state was reached after 15 to 20 seconds (i.e., 5 to 6 movements).

Head movements and postures as pain behavior

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Al-Hamadi, Ayoub; Limbrecht-Ecklundt, Kerstin; Walter, Steffen; Traue, Harald C.

2018-01-01

Pain assessment can benefit from observation of pain behaviors, such as guarding or facial expression, and observational pain scales are widely used in clinical practice with nonverbal patients. However, little is known about head movements and postures in the context of pain. In this regard, we analyze videos of three publically available datasets. The BioVid dataset was recorded with healthy participants subjected to painful heat stimuli. In the BP4D dataset, healthy participants performed a cold-pressor test and several other tasks (meant to elicit emotion). The UNBC dataset videos show shoulder pain patients during range-of-motion tests to their affected and unaffected limbs. In all videos, participants were sitting in an upright position. We studied head movements and postures that occurred during the painful and control trials by measuring head orientation from video over time, followed by analyzing posture and movement summary statistics and occurrence frequencies of typical postures and movements. We found significant differences between pain and control trials with analyses of variance and binomial tests. In BioVid and BP4D, pain was accompanied by head movements and postures that tend to be oriented downwards or towards the pain site. We also found differences in movement range and speed in all three datasets. The results suggest that head movements and postures should be considered for pain assessment and research. As additional pain indicators, they possibly might improve pain management whenever behavior is assessed, especially in nonverbal individuals such as infants or patients with dementia. However, in advance more research is needed to identify specific head movements and postures in pain patients. PMID:29444153

Neck Kinematics and Electromyography While Wearing Head Supported Mass During Running.

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Hanks, Matthew M; Sefton, JoEllen M; Oliver, Gretchen D

2018-01-01

Advanced combat helmets (ACH) coupled with night-vision goggles (NVG) are required for tactical athletes during training and service. Head and neck injuries due to head supported mass (HSM) are a common occurrence in military personnel. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of HSM on neck muscle fatigue that may lead to chronic stress and injury of the head and neck. Subjects wore an ACH and were affixed with electromagnetic sensors to obtain kinematic data, as well as EMG electrodes to obtain muscle activations of bilateral sternocleidomastoid, upper trapezius, and paraspinal muscles while running on a treadmill. Subjects performed a 2-min warmup at a walking pace, a 5-min warmup jog, running at a pace equal to 90% maximum heart rate until absolute fatigue, and lastly a 2-min cooldown at a walking pace. Kinematic and EMG data were collected over each 2-min interval. Days later, the same subjects wore the same ACH in addition to the NVG and performed the same protocol as the first session. This study showed significant differences in muscle activation of the right upper trapezius [F(1,31) = 10.100] and both sternocleidomastoid [F(1,31) = 12.280] muscles from pre-fatigue to absolute fatigue. There were no significant differences noted in the kinematic variables. This study suggests that HSM can fatigue bilateral neck flexors and rotators, as well as fatigue the neck extensors and rotators on the contralateral side of the mounted NVG.Hanks MM, Sefton JM, Oliver GD. Neck kinematics and electromyography while wearing head supported mass during running. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(1):9-13.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Induced Head & Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Retrospect

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Nishat, Roquaiya; Ramachandra, Sujatha; Kumar, Harish; Bandyopadhyay, Alokenath

2015-01-01

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma accounts for the sixth most common malignancy occurring worldwide with tobacco and alcohol being the two well established risk factors. In the recent years, substantial evidence has been obtained that Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) associated head and neck cancers are on the rise. This article provides an insight into the structure of HPV genome, molecular pathogenesis, detection methods and clinical implications of HPV positive Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. PMID:26266234

The differential impact of subjective and objective aspects of social engagement on cardiovascular risk factors

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kamiya, Yumiko

2010-11-02

Abstract Background This article provides new insights into the impact of social engagement on CVD risk factors in older adults. We hypothesized that objective (social participation, social ties and marital status) and subjective (emotional support) aspects of social engagement are independently associated with objective measures of cardiovascular risk. Methods Data from the English Longitudinal Study on Ageing (ELSA) were analyzed. The effects of social participation, social ties, marital status, and emotional support on hypertension, obesity, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen were estimated by logistic regression controlling for age, sex, education, physical function, depression, cardiovascular disease, other chronic diseases, physical activity, and smoking. Results Social participation is a consistent predictor of low risk for four risk factors, even after controlling for a wide range of covariates. Being married is associated with lower risk for hypertension. Social ties and emotional support are not significantly associated with any of the cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusion Our analysis suggests that participation in social activities has a stronger association with CV risk factors than marital status, social ties or emotional support. Different forms of social engagement may therefore have different implications for the biological risk factors involved.

Risk factors for diabetes, but not for cardiovascular disease, are associated with family history of Type 2 diabetes in subjects from central Mexico.

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Zamora-Ginez, Irma; Pérez-Fuentes, Ricardo; Baez-Duarte, Blanca G; Revilla-Monsalve, Cristina; Brambila, Eduardo

2012-03-01

Independent of obesity, family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (FHT2DM) is another important risk factor for developing diabetes. To establish the association among FHT2DM, risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease in subjects from central Mexico. Clinical and biochemical studies were performed in 383 first-degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes and 270 subjects unrelated to patients with type 2 diabetes-all subjects were from the city of Puebla in central Mexico. Logistic regressions were used to assess the association between FHT2DM and metabolic parameters. Cardiovascular risk was classified by dyslipidemia and the Framingham Risk Score (FRS). FHT2DM was associated with risk factors for diabetes, such as increased fasting insulin levels (OR = 1.731, 95% CI = 1.041-2.877), decreased insulin sensitivity (OR = 1.951, 95% CI = 1.236-3.080) and pre-diabetes (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.14-2.33). FHT2DH was not associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as dyslipidemia (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 0.70-1.79) and FRS (OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.40-1.36) when adjusted for gender, age, smoking and obesity. Diabetic risk factors, but not cardiovascular disease risk factors, are associated with a positive family history of diabetes in subjects from central Mexico, independent of the presence of obesity.

Modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer disease and subjective memory impairment across age groups.

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Chen, Stephen T; Siddarth, Prabha; Ercoli, Linda M; Merrill, David A; Torres-Gil, Fernando; Small, Gary W

2014-01-01

Previous research has identified modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in older adults. Research is limited on the potential link between these risk factors and subjective memory impairment (SMI), which may precede AD and other dementias. Examination of these potential relationships may help identify those at risk for AD at a stage when interventions may delay or prevent further memory problems. The objective of this study was to determine whether risk factors for AD are associated with SMI among different age groups. Trained interviewers conducted daily telephone surveys (Gallup-Healthways) of a representative community sample of 18,614 U.S. respondents, including 4,425 younger (age 18 to 39 years), 6,365 middle-aged (40 to 59 years), and 7,824 older (60 to 99 years) adults. The surveyors collected data on demographics, lifestyles, and medical information. Less education, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, less exercise, obesity and depression, and interactions among them, were examined for associations with SMI. Weighted logistic regressions and chi-square tests were used to calculate odds ratios and confidence intervals for SMI with each risk factor and pairwise interactions across age groups. Depression, less education, less exercise, and hypertension were significantly associated with SMI in all three age groups. Several interactions between risk factors were significant in younger and middle-aged adults and influenced their associations with SMI. Frequency of SMI increased with age and number of risk factors. Odds of having SMI increased significantly with just having one risk factor. These results indicate that modifiable risk factors for AD are also associated with SMI, suggesting that these relationships occur in a broad range of ages and may be targeted to mitigate further memory problems. Whether modifying these risk factors reduces SMI and the eventual incidence of AD and other dementias later in life remains to be determined.

Modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer disease and subjective memory impairment across age groups.

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Stephen T Chen

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Previous research has identified modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD in older adults. Research is limited on the potential link between these risk factors and subjective memory impairment (SMI, which may precede AD and other dementias. Examination of these potential relationships may help identify those at risk for AD at a stage when interventions may delay or prevent further memory problems. The objective of this study was to determine whether risk factors for AD are associated with SMI among different age groups. METHOD: Trained interviewers conducted daily telephone surveys (Gallup-Healthways of a representative community sample of 18,614 U.S. respondents, including 4,425 younger (age 18 to 39 years, 6,365 middle-aged (40 to 59 years, and 7,824 older (60 to 99 years adults. The surveyors collected data on demographics, lifestyles, and medical information. Less education, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, less exercise, obesity and depression, and interactions among them, were examined for associations with SMI. Weighted logistic regressions and chi-square tests were used to calculate odds ratios and confidence intervals for SMI with each risk factor and pairwise interactions across age groups. RESULTS: Depression, less education, less exercise, and hypertension were significantly associated with SMI in all three age groups. Several interactions between risk factors were significant in younger and middle-aged adults and influenced their associations with SMI. Frequency of SMI increased with age and number of risk factors. Odds of having SMI increased significantly with just having one risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that modifiable risk factors for AD are also associated with SMI, suggesting that these relationships occur in a broad range of ages and may be targeted to mitigate further memory problems. Whether modifying these risk factors reduces SMI and the eventual incidence of AD and other

miR-146a C/G polymorphism increased the risk of head and neck cancer, but overall cancer risk: an analysis of 89 studies.

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Sun, Dezhong; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Xiaolei

2018-02-28

Several studies have evaluated the association of miR-146a C/G with head and neck cancer (HNC) susceptibility, and overall cancer risk, but with inconclusive outcomes. To drive a more precise estimation, we carried out this meta-analysis. The literature was searched from MEDLINE (mainly PubMed), Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases to identify eligible studies. A total of 89 studies were included. The results showed that miR-146a C/G was significantly associated with increased HNC risk in dominant model ( I 2 =15.6%, P heterogeneity =0.282, odds ratio (OR) =1.088, 95% confidence interval (CI) =1.002-1.182, P =0.044). However, no cancer risk was detected under all genetic models. By further stratified analysis, we found that rs4919510 mutation contributed to the risk of HNC amongst Asians under homozygote model ( I 2 =0, P heterogeneity =0.541, OR =1.189, 95% CI =1.025-1.378, P =0.022), and dominant model ( I 2 =0, P heterogeneity =0.959, OR =1.155, 95% CI =1.016-1.312, P =0.028). Simultaneously, in the stratified analysis by source of controls, a significantly increased cancer risk amongst population-based studies was found under homozygote model, dominant model, recessive model, and allele comparison model. However, no significant association was found in the stratified analysis by ethnicity and source of control. The results indicated that miR-146a C/G polymorphism may contribute to the increased HNC susceptibility and could be a promising target to forecast cancer risk for clinical practice. However, no significant association was found in subgroup analysis by ethnicity and source of control. To further confirm these results, well-designed large-scale case-control studies are needed in the future. © 2018 The Author(s).

Pulmonary complication associated with head and neck cancer surgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manzoor, T.; Ahmed, Z.; Sheikh, N.A.; Khan, M.M.

2007-01-01

To evaluate the frequency of short-term pulmonary complications in the patients undergoing various head and neck cancer surgeries in our setup and to assess possible risk factors responsible for these complications. Seventy patients of age group 20 to 80 years, regardless of gender, treated surgically for head and neck cancers were enrolled. Main outcome measures included development of pulmonary complications following 15 days of oncological surgery. The complications studied were pneumothorax, bronchopneumonia, atelectasis, pulmonary embolism and cardiopulmonary arrest. A total of 24.28% patients suffered from postoperative pulmonary complications; 17.14% developed bronchopneumonia, 5.71% pulmonary embolism, and 1.42% went into cardiopulmonary arrest, none developed pneumothorax or pulmonary atelectasis. A significant correlation of postoperative bronchopneumonia was seen with heavy smoking and assisted ventilation. Pulmonary embolism was associated with extended assisted ventilation and prolonged surgery. Cardiopulmonary arrest was associated with comorbidity and assisted ventilation after surgery. The frequency of bronchopneumonia supersedes all of the postoperative pulmonary complications in head and neck oncological surgery. Patients at risk of developing postoperative complications are heavy smokers, diabetics, those undergoing prolonged surgery, tracheostomy, and extended assisted ventilation. (author)

The role of oral hygiene in head and neck cancer: results from International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium.

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Hashim, D; Sartori, S; Brennan, P; Curado, M P; Wünsch-Filho, V; Divaris, K; Olshan, A F; Zevallos, J P; Winn, D M; Franceschi, S; Castellsagué, X; Lissowska, J; Rudnai, P; Matsuo, K; Morgenstern, H; Chen, C; Vaughan, T L; Hofmann, J N; D'Souza, G; Haddad, R I; Wu, H; Lee, Y-C; Hashibe, M; Vecchia, C La; Boffetta, P

2016-08-01

Poor oral hygiene has been proposed to contribute to head and neck cancer (HNC) risk, although causality and independency of some indicators are uncertain. This study investigates the relationship of five oral hygiene indicators with incident HNCs. In a pooled analysis of 8925 HNC cases and 12 527 controls from 13 studies participating in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium, comparable data on good oral hygiene indicators were harmonized. These included: no denture wear, no gum disease (or bleeding), oral hygiene indicator and cumulative score on HNC risk, adjusting for tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption. Inverse associations with any HNC, in the hypothesized direction, were observed for cancer sites, especially for tooth brushing and dentist visits. The population attributable fraction for ≤ 2 out of 5 good oral hygiene indicators was 8.9% (95% CI 3.3%, 14%) for oral cavity cancer. Good oral hygiene, as characterized by few missing teeth, annual dentist visits, and daily tooth brushing, may modestly reduce the risk of HNC. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Nutrient patterns and risk of fracture in older subjects: results from the Three-City Study.

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Samieri, C; Ginder Coupez, V; Lorrain, S; Letenneur, L; Allès, B; Féart, C; Paineau, D; Barberger-Gateau, P

2013-04-01

We investigated the association between nutrient patterns and risk of fractures in 1,482 older subjects. Patterns associated with higher intakes of Ca, P, vitamin B12, proteins and unsaturated fats, and moderate alcohol intake, provided by diets rich in dairies and charcuteries, were related to a lower risk of wrist and hip fractures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between patterns of nutrient intake and the risk of fractures in older subjects. Among 1,482 participants from the Bordeaux sample of the Three-City (3C) Study who completed a 24-h dietary recall and a food frequency questionnaire, we examined the association between patterns of nutrient intake derived from principal component analysis and 8-year incidence of self-reported fractures of the hip, the wrist, and the vertebrae. A "nutrient-dense" pattern rich in Ca and P, iron, vitamins B including B12, vitamins C and E, alcohol, proteins, and unsaturated fats, and characterized by a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, cheese and milk, charcuteries, cereals, rice, pasta, and potatoes, was associated with a 19% (95% CI 2-34%, P=0.03) lower risk of wrist fractures. The same pattern was associated with a 14% (95% CI 2-25%) lower risk of fractures at any site. A "south-western French" pattern rich in Ca, P, vitamins D and B12, retinol, alcohol, proteins, and fats-including unsaturated fats; poor in vitamins C, E, and K, carotenes, folates, and fibers; and related to a higher consumption of cheese, milk, and charcuterie and a lower consumption of fruits and vegetables was related to a 33% lower risk of hip fractures (95% CI 3-39%, P=0.03). Higher intakes of Ca, P, vitamin B12, proteins, and unsaturated fats and moderate alcohol, provided by dietary patterns rich in cheese, milk, and charcuteries, were related to a lower risk of wrist and hip fractures in our cohort.

Prevalence of hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism.

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Gonzalez Gil, Lidia; de la Sierra, Alejandro

2017-04-21

To assess the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia in subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) in comparison with an age- and sex-matched control group. Case-control study with 240 subjects with SH and 480 controls carried out on patients aged 35-75 years admitted to a Primary Care Centre. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia, as well as blood pressure, plasma glucose, and lipid profilses, were evaluated in both groups. No differences were observed neither in the prevalence of hypertension (34.2% vs. 29.6%) or diabetes (12.1% vs. 10%) nor in mean values of blood pressure or plasma fasting glucose. Subjects with SH had an increased prevalence of lipid abnormalities (72.1% vs. 57.7%; P<.001), and increased mean values of total cholesterol (205±34 vs. 193±35mg/dL; P<.001), compared to the control group. Patients with SH have an increased prevalence of lipid abnormalities. This can be responsible for an increased cardiovascular risk in such patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Magnetic Vestibular Stimulation in Subjects with Unilateral Labyrinthine Disorders

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Bryan Kevin Ward

2014-03-01

Full Text Available We recently discovered that static magnetic fields from high-strength MRI machines induce nystagmus in all normal humans, and that a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD Lorentz force, derived from ionic currents in the endolymph and pushing on the cupula, best explains this effect. Individuals with no labyrinthine function have no nystagmus. The influence of magnetic vestibular stimulation (MVS in individuals with unilateral loss of labyrinthine function is unknown and may provide insight into mechanism of MVS. These individuals should experience MVS, but with differences consistent with their residual labyrinthine function. We recorded eye movements in the static magnetic field of a 7T MRI machine in nine individuals with unilateral labyrinthine hypofunction, as determined by head impulse testing and vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP. Eye movements were recorded using infrared videooculography. Static head positions were varied in pitch with the body supine, and slow-phase eye velocity (SPV was assessed. All subjects exhibited predominantly horizontal nystagmus after entering the magnet head-first, lying supine. The SPV direction reversed when entering feet-first. Pitching chin-to-chest caused subjects to reach a null point for horizontal SPV. Right unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH subjects developed slow-phase-up nystagmus and left UVH subjects, slow-phase-down nystagmus. Vertical and torsional components were consistent with superior semicircular canal excitation or inhibition, respectively, of the intact ear. These findings provide compelling support for the hypothesis that MVS is a result of a Lorentz force and suggest that the function of individual structures within the labyrinth can be assessed with MVS. As a novel method of comfortable and sustained labyrinthine stimulation, MVS can provide new insights into vestibular physiology and pathophysiology.

Handedness and phenotypic characteristics of the head and face

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Cvetković Milena

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Craniofacial characteristics are used to identify similarities and differences between human populations or within a single population. The aim of this study is to provide data on the differences/similarities between two groups of subjects, left-handed and right-handed children, based on the parameters that determine the phenotypic characteristics of the head and face: head dimensions, face dimensions, hair color, eye color and earlobe shape. The study participants included 1354 students aged 7 to 15 years from regular schools of southeastern Serbia. The instruments used include: the Edinburgh Handedness Questionnaire for handedness determination, the cephalometer, and the questionnaire. 135 students (9.97% were identified as left-handed, and the differences in the observed parameters were recorded between left-handed and right-handed girls in relation to the cephalic index, nasal index, head breadth, face breadth, and eye color.

Sexual risk behaviors among youth heads of household in Gikongoro, south province of Rwanda

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Ntaganira Joseph

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background As a result of the 1994 genocide and AIDS, Rwanda has a crisis of orphans. In 2005, the Ministry of Local Governance and Social Affairs of Rwanda has reported one million vulnerable children. Many of these are not only orphans but also youth heads of households (YHH. The purpose of this study was to: (a identify risk behaviors that expose YHH to HIV infection, (b determine gender-specific high risk profiles and, (c determine predictors of sexual onset. Methods A household survey was conducted among 692 YHH, aged 12-24, all beneficiaries of a World Vision basic needs program in Gikongoro, Rwanda, from January to March 2004. Participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data was collected on socio-demographic variables, HIV/AIDS prevention knowledge and sexual risk behaviors. Bivariate analyses of the study variables were performed to examine differences between males and females. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze factors that were independently associated with the debut of having sex. Results Forty-one percent of respondents reported sexual onset before age 15. Males were more likely to start earlier than females (50.4% versus 26.7% but females reported more sexual onset with an older partner. Fifty-eight percent of females had their first intercourse with a partner who was four or more years older than themselves. While sexual activity was low (1.75 mean lifetime sexual partner, 0.45 mean sexual partner last twelve months, sexual experience was related to less social connectedness and use of drugs. Having a close friend also appeared to be protective for sexual debut. The analysis also found that although YHH were aware of some prevention measures against HIV/AIDS, there was low (19.8% knowledge of the "ABC" prevention program promoted by the government. In addition, despite 85% of respondents knowing someone who had died of AIDS, only 31% perceived themselves at risk of HIV infection

Safety and efficacy of pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis following blunt head injury: a systematic review.

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Reeves, Fairleigh; Batty, Lachlan; Pitt, Veronica; Chau, Marisa; Pattuwage, Loyal; Gruen, Russell L

2013-10-01

Patients with blunt head injury are at high risk of venous thromboembolism. However, pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis (PTP) may cause progression of intracranial hemorrhage, and clinicians must often weigh up the risks and benefits. This review aimed to determine whether adding PTP to mechanical prophylaxis confers net benefit or harm and the optimal timing, dose, and agent for PTP in patients with blunt head injury. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and www.clinicaltrials.gov on April 24, 2013, to identify controlled studies and ongoing trials that assessed the efficacy or safety of thromboprophylaxis interventions in the early management of head-injured patients. Studies were classified based on types of interventions and comparisons, and the quality of included studies was assessed using Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. We intended to undertake a meta-analysis if studies were sufficiently similar. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria, including four randomized controlled trials. At least two randomized controlled trials were at high risk of bias owing to inadequate randomization and concealment of allocation, and observational studies were potentially confounded by substantial differences between comparison groups. Heterogeneity of included studies precluded meta-analysis. Results were mixed, with some studies supporting and others refuting addition of PTP to mechanical interventions. Little evidence was available about dose or choice of agent. The safety and efficacy of early PTP in patients without early progression of hemorrhage is unclear. There is currently insufficient evidence to guide thromboprophylaxis in patients with blunt head injury. Standardized definitions and outcome measurements would facilitate comparison of outcomes across future studies. Studies in mixed populations should report head-injured specific subgroup data. Future

Promoting School Success: Developing Social Skills and Early Literacy in Head Start Classrooms

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Gunn, Barbara; Feil, Ed; Seeley, John; Severson, Herb; Walker, Hill M.

2006-01-01

This article reports the results of a pilot intervention to improve the social skills and literacy preparation of behaviorally at-risk Head Start children. Teachers in eight Head Start classrooms in two Oregon communities participated during the 2002-03 school year. Children in eight classrooms were screened and identified for participation using…

Risk factors for severe injury following indoor and outdoor falls in geriatric patients.

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Kim, Sun Hyu

2016-01-01

This study was performed to examine the characteristics of indoor and outdoor falls in older patients and the factors related to severe injury in the emergency department (ED). In total, 26,515 patients fell indoors and 19,581 outdoors. The general and clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups and factors associated with severe injury following the falls were evaluated. Younger males fell more frequently outdoors than indoors. The common activities during outdoor falls were sports and leisure activities. Environmental hazards lead to more outdoor falls than indoor falls. Factors associated with severe injury after indoor falls were transport to the ED by public ambulance or from another medical facility rather than individual transportation, fall from stairs rather than fell over, and a head and neck injury rather than a lower extremity injury. Factors related to severe injury after outdoor falls were male sex, transport to the ED by public ambulance or from another medical facility or by another method rather than individual transportation, state employed, fall from stairs rather than fell over, head and neck or thorax or abdomen injury rather than a lower extremity injury. Transport to the ED by public ambulance or from another medical facility, and head and neck injury were risks for severe injury following indoor and outdoor falls in elderly subjects. Efforts to identify the risk factors for severe injury and for falling itself are important to prevent and reduce fall injuries in elderly subjects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subject-enabled analytics model on measurement statistics in health risk expert system for public health informatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Chi-Jung; Kuo, Yu-Chen; Hsieh, Yun-Yu; Li, Tsai-Chung; Lin, Cheng-Chieh; Liang, Wen-Miin; Liao, Li-Na; Li, Chia-Ing; Lin, Hsueh-Chun

2017-11-01

This study applied open source technology to establish a subject-enabled analytics model that can enhance measurement statistics of case studies with the public health data in cloud computing. The infrastructure of the proposed model comprises three domains: 1) the health measurement data warehouse (HMDW) for the case study repository, 2) the self-developed modules of online health risk information statistics (HRIStat) for cloud computing, and 3) the prototype of a Web-based process automation system in statistics (PASIS) for the health risk assessment of case studies with subject-enabled evaluation. The system design employed freeware including Java applications, MySQL, and R packages to drive a health risk expert system (HRES). In the design, the HRIStat modules enforce the typical analytics methods for biomedical statistics, and the PASIS interfaces enable process automation of the HRES for cloud computing. The Web-based model supports both modes, step-by-step analysis and auto-computing process, respectively for preliminary evaluation and real time computation. The proposed model was evaluated by computing prior researches in relation to the epidemiological measurement of diseases that were caused by either heavy metal exposures in the environment or clinical complications in hospital. The simulation validity was approved by the commercial statistics software. The model was installed in a stand-alone computer and in a cloud-server workstation to verify computing performance for a data amount of more than 230K sets. Both setups reached efficiency of about 10 5 sets per second. The Web-based PASIS interface can be used for cloud computing, and the HRIStat module can be flexibly expanded with advanced subjects for measurement statistics. The analytics procedure of the HRES prototype is capable of providing assessment criteria prior to estimating the potential risk to public health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neurosurgery for management of severe head injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seitz, K.; Richter, H.P.

1998-01-01

Neurosurgery as a treatment of severe head injuries is not restricted to invasive surgery but also includes peri-operative intensive care medicine. Thanks to the technological progress and advanced diagnostic tools, especially drug treatments and their efficiency as well as risks can be far better monitored and analysed today. (orig./CB) [de

The burden of chronic pain after major head and neck tumor therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdullah Sulieman Terkawi

2017-01-01

Conclusion: Our study highlighted the high burden of chronic pain after therapy for major head and neck tumors. We identified demographic and clinical factors that are associated with the presence of chronic pain. Further studies are required to better understand the risk factors to implement strategies to prevent, alleviate, and treat chronic pain associated with major head and neck tumor therapies.

Rotational acceleration during head impact resulting from different judo throwing techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Murayama, Haruo; Hitosugi, Masahito; Motozawa, Yasuki; Ogino, Masahiro; Koyama, Katsuhiro

2014-01-01

Most severe head injuries in judo are reported as acute subdural hematoma. It is thus necessary to examine the rotational acceleration of the head to clarify the mechanism of head injuries. We determined the rotational acceleration of the head when the subject is thrown by judo techniques. One Japanese male judo expert threw an anthropomorphic test device using two throwing techniques, Osoto-gari and Ouchi-gari. Rotational and translational head accelerations were measured with and without an under-mat. For Osoto-gari, peak resultant rotational acceleration ranged from 4,284.2 rad/s(2) to 5,525.9 rad/s(2) and peak resultant translational acceleration ranged from 64.3 g to 87.2 g; for Ouchi-gari, the accelerations respectively ranged from 1,708.0 rad/s(2) to 2,104.1 rad/s(2) and from 120.2 g to 149.4 g. The resultant rotational acceleration did not decrease with installation of an under-mat for both Ouchi-gari and Osoto-gari. We found that head contact with the tatami could result in the peak values of translational and rotational accelerations, respectively. In general, because kinematics of the body strongly affects translational and rotational accelerations of the head, both accelerations should be measured to analyze the underlying mechanism of head injury. As a primary preventative measure, throwing techniques should be restricted to participants demonstrating ability in ukemi techniques to avoid head contact with the tatami.

The INHANCE consortium: toward a better understanding of the causes and mechanisms of head and neck cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Winn, D M; Lee, Y-C A; Hashibe, M; Boffetta, P

2015-09-01

The International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium is a collaboration of research groups leading large epidemiology studies to improve the understanding of the causes and mechanisms of head and neck cancer. The consortium includes investigators of 35 studies who have pooled their data on 25 500 patients with head and neck cancer (i.e., cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx) and 37 100 controls. The INHANCE analyses have confirmed that tobacco use and alcohol intake are key risk factors of these diseases and have provided precise estimates of risk and dose response, the benefit of quitting, and the hazard of smoking even a few cigarettes per day. Other risk factors include short height, lean body mass, low education and income, and a family history of head and neck cancer. Risk factors are generally similar for oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx, although the magnitude of risk may vary. Some major strengths of pooling data across studies include more precise estimates of risk and the ability to control for potentially confounding factors and to examine factors that may interact with each other. The INHANCE consortium provides evidence of the scientific productivity and discoveries that can be obtained from data pooling projects. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Preference Bias of Head Orientation in Choosing between Two Non-durables

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Hiroyuki eFunaya

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The goal of this study is to investigate how customers’ gaze, head and body orientations reflect their choices. Although the relationship between human choice and gaze behavior has been well studied, other behaviors such as head and body are unknown. We conducted a two-alternatives-forced-choice task to examine (1 whether preference bias, i.e. a positional bias in gaze, head and body toward the item that was later chosen, exists in choice, (2 when preference bias is observed and when prediction of the resulting choice becomes possible (3 whether human choice is affected when the body orientations are manipulated. We used real non-durable products (cheap snacks and clothing on a shopping shelf. The results showed that there was a significant preference bias in head orientation at the beginning one second when the subjects stood straight toward the shelf, and that the head orientation was more biased toward the selected item than the gaze and the center of pressure at the ending one second. Manipulating body orientation did not affect the result of choice. The preference bias detected by observing the head orientation would be useful in marketing science for predicting customers’ choice.

Preference bias of head orientation in choosing between two non-durables.

Science.gov (United States)

Funaya, Hiroyuki; Shibata, Tomohiro

2015-01-01

The goal of this study is to investigate how customers' gaze, head and body orientations reflect their choices. Although the relationship between human choice and gaze behavior has been well-studied, other behaviors such as head and body are unknown. We conducted a two-alternatives-forced-choice task to examine (1) whether preference bias, i.e., a positional bias in gaze, head and body toward the item that was later chosen, exists in choice, (2) when preference bias is observed and when prediction of the resulting choice becomes possible (3) whether human choice is affected when the body orientations are manipulated. We used real non-durable products (cheap snacks and clothing) on a shopping shelf. The results showed that there was a significant preference bias in head orientation at the beginning 1 s when the subjects stood straight toward the shelf, and that the head orientation was more biased toward the selected item than the gaze and the center of pressure at the ending 1 s. Manipulating body orientation did not affect the result of choice. The preference bias detected by observing the head orientation would be useful in marketing science for predicting customers' choice.

Spinal cord injury and its association with blunt head trauma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paiva WS

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Wellingson S Paiva, Arthur MP Oliveira, Almir F Andrade, Robson LO Amorim, Leonardo JO Lourenço, Manoel J TeixeiraDivision of Neurosurgery, University of São Paulo, BrazilBackground: Severe and moderate head injury can cause misdiagnosis of a spinal cord injury, leading to devastating long-term consequences. The objective of this study is to identify risk factors involving spine trauma and moderate-to-severe brain injury.Methods: A prospective study involving 1617 patients admitted in the emergency unit was carried out. Of these patients, 180 with moderate or severe head injury were enrolled. All patients were submitted to three-view spine series X-ray and thin cut axial CT scans for spine trauma investigations.Results: 112 male patients and 78 female patients, whose ages ranged from 11 to 76 years (mean age, 34 years. The most common causes of brain trauma were pedestrians struck by motor vehicles (31.1%, car crashes (27.7%, and falls (25%. Systemic lesions were present in 80 (44.4% patients and the most common were fractures, and lung and spleen injuries. 52.8% had severe and 47.2% moderate head trauma. Fourteen patients (7.8% suffered spinal cord injury (12 in cervical spine, one in lumbar, and one thoracic spine. In elderly patients, the presence of associated lesions and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS < 9 were statistically significant as risk factors (P < 0.05 for spine injury.Conclusion: Spinal cord injury related to moderate and severe brain trauma usually affects the cervical spine. The incidence of spinal lesions and GCS < 9 points were related to greater incidence of spinal cord injury.Keywords: head injury, spine trauma, risk factors

Pharmacists subjected to disciplinary action: characteristics and risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Phipps, Denham L; Noyce, Peter R; Walshe, Kieran; Parker, Dianne; Ashcroft, Darren M

2011-10-01

OBJECTIVE To establish whether there are any characteristics of pharmacists that predict their likelihood of being subjected to disciplinary action. METHODS  The setting was the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain's Disciplinary Committee. One hundred and seventeen pharmacists, all of whom had been referred to the Disciplinary Committee, were matched with a quota sample of 580 pharmacists who had not been subjected to disciplinary action but that matched the disciplined pharmacists on a set of demographic factors (gender, country of residence, year of registration). Frequency analysis and regression analysis were used to compare the two groups of pharmacists in terms of sector of work, ethnicity, age and country of training. Descriptive statistics were also obtained from the disciplined pharmacists to further explore characteristics of disciplinary cases and those pharmacists who undergo them. KEY FINDINGS  While a number of characteristics appeared to increase the likelihood of a pharmacist being referred to the disciplinary committee, only one of these - working in a community pharmacy - was statistically significant. Professional misconduct accounted for a greater proportion of referrals than did clinical malpractice, and approximately one-fifth of pharmacists who went before the Disciplinary Committee had previously been disciplined by the Society. CONCLUSIONS  This study provides initial evidence of pharmacist characteristics that are associated with an increased risk of being disciplined, based upon the data currently available. It is recommended that follow-up work is carried out using a more extensive dataset in order to confirm the statistical trends identified here. © 2011 The Authors. IJPP © 2011 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Extraction of high value added gelatin biopolymer from black tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) head bones

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sockalingam, K., E-mail: gd130106@siswa.uthm.edu.my; Abdullah, H. Z., E-mail: hasan@uthm.edu.my [Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor (Malaysia)

2015-07-22

Black tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) fish head bones were evaluated for its possibilities in extracting gelatin. Head bones were subjected to pre-treatment with 3% of hydrochloric acid (HCl) for demineralization before undergoes thermal extraction process. The raw head bones were characterized via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in order to investigate the external and internal surface morphology. SEM images also reveal the presence of collagen fiber with 1 µm diameter in the head bone. The black tilapia fish head bones yields 5.75 % of gelatin in wet weight basis, indicating the possibility of this fish species as sources of gelatin. Further characterizations were done on both raw head bones and extracted gelatin through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and proximate analysis. The head bones gelatin shows high protein (10.55%) and ash (3.11 %) content with low moisture. This further proves the effectiveness of demineralization and extraction method used. The black tilapia fish head bones are found to be a prospective source of gelatin with good chemical and functional properties.

Extraction of high value added gelatin biopolymer from black tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) head bones

Science.gov (United States)

Sockalingam, K.; Abdullah, H. Z.

2015-07-01

Black tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) fish head bones were evaluated for its possibilities in extracting gelatin. Head bones were subjected to pre-treatment with 3% of hydrochloric acid (HCl) for demineralization before undergoes thermal extraction process. The raw head bones were characterized via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in order to investigate the external and internal surface morphology. SEM images also reveal the presence of collagen fiber with 1 µm diameter in the head bone. The black tilapia fish head bones yields 5.75 % of gelatin in wet weight basis, indicating the possibility of this fish species as sources of gelatin. Further characterizations were done on both raw head bones and extracted gelatin through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and proximate analysis. The head bones gelatin shows high protein (10.55%) and ash (3.11 %) content with low moisture. This further proves the effectiveness of demineralization and extraction method used. The black tilapia fish head bones are found to be a prospective source of gelatin with good chemical and functional properties.

Extraction of high value added gelatin biopolymer from black tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) head bones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sockalingam, K.; Abdullah, H. Z.

2015-01-01

Black tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) fish head bones were evaluated for its possibilities in extracting gelatin. Head bones were subjected to pre-treatment with 3% of hydrochloric acid (HCl) for demineralization before undergoes thermal extraction process. The raw head bones were characterized via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in order to investigate the external and internal surface morphology. SEM images also reveal the presence of collagen fiber with 1 µm diameter in the head bone. The black tilapia fish head bones yields 5.75 % of gelatin in wet weight basis, indicating the possibility of this fish species as sources of gelatin. Further characterizations were done on both raw head bones and extracted gelatin through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and proximate analysis. The head bones gelatin shows high protein (10.55%) and ash (3.11 %) content with low moisture. This further proves the effectiveness of demineralization and extraction method used. The black tilapia fish head bones are found to be a prospective source of gelatin with good chemical and functional properties

Advances in Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gregoire, Vincent; Langendijk, Johannes A.; Nuyts, Sandra

2015-01-01

Over the last few decades, significant improvements have been made in the radiotherapy (RT) treatment of head and neck malignancies. The progressive introduction of intensity-modulated RT and the use of multimodality imaging for target volume and organs at risk delineation, together with the use of

Usefulness of an accelerated transoesophageal stress echocardiography in the preoperative evaluation of high risk severely obese subjects awaiting bariatric surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tessier Michel

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Severe obesity is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD. Bariatric surgery is an effective procedure for long term weight management as well as reduction of comorbidities. Preoperative evaluation of cardiac operative risk may often be necessary but unfortunately standard imaging techniques are often suboptimal in these subjects. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility, safety and utility of transesophageal dobutamine stress echocardiography (TE-DSE using an adapted accelerated dobutamine infusion protocol in severely obese subjects with comorbidities being evaluated for bariatric surgery for assessing the presence of myocardial ischemia. Methods Subjects with severe obesity [body mass index (BMI >40 kg/m2] with known or suspected CAD and being evaluated for bariatric surgery were recruited. Results Twenty subjects (9M/11F, aged 50 ± 8 years (mean ± SD, weighing 141 ± 21 kg and with a BMI of 50 ± 5 kg/m2 were enrolled in the study and underwent a TE-DSE. The accelerated dobutamine infusion protocol used was well tolerated. Eighteen (90% subjects reached their target heart rate with a mean intubation time of 13 ± 4 minutes. Mean dobutamine dose was 31.5 ± 9.9 ug/kg/min while mean atropine dose was 0.5 ± 0.3 mg. TE-DSE was well tolerated by all subjects without complications including no significant arrhythmia, hypotension or reduction in blood arterial saturation. Two subjects had abnormal TE-DSE suggestive of myocardial ischemia. All patients underwent bariatric surgery with no documented cardiovascular complications. Conclusions TE-DSE using an accelerated infusion protocol is a safe and well tolerated imaging technique for the evaluation of suspected myocardial ischemia and cardiac operative risk in severely obese patients awaiting bariatric surgery. Moreover, the absence of myocardial ischemia on TE-DSE correlates well with a low operative risk of cardiac event.

Shakedown and stress range of torispherical heads under cyclic internal pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalnins, A.; Updike, D.P.

1996-01-01

Two effects on shakedown of torispherical heads are addressed in this paper: (1) changing geometry, and (2) initial pressurization, such as by a hydro (or proof) test. Shakedown and the cycled stress intensity range are calculated for two head geometries, having diameter-to-thickness ratios of 238 and 192. The calculations are carried out following two approaches: (1) using a nonlinear, elastic-plastic algorithm that accounts for changes in geometry, and (2) using elastic stresses in the undeformed geometry, which is the commonly used approach. The results show that, when the two geometries are subjected to the same initial and cyclic pressures, shakedown is achieved by the first approach but not by the second. Since real heads do benefit from geometry changes, and since most design codes require hydro (or proof) tests before operation, the first approach is recommended for the design of torispherical heads

[Human papilloma viruses: other risk factor of head and neck carcinoma].

Science.gov (United States)

Woto-Gaye, G; M'Farrej, M K; Doh, K; Thiam, I; Touré, S; Diop, R; Dial, C

2016-08-01

Head and neck carcinoma (HNC) occupy the sixth place as the most frequent type of cancer worldwide. Next to alcohol and tobacco intoxication, other risk factors (RF) are suspected, including the human papilloma viruses (HPVs). The aim of this study was to highlight the prevalence of HPVs and histo-epidemiological characteristics of HNC HPV+ in Senegal. This is a prospective, multicenter preliminary study of 18 months (January 1, 2012-June 30, 2014). The cases of HNC histologically confirmed in Senegal were then sent to the bio-pathology department of the Curie Institute in Paris to search HPVs. In the 90 included cases, the PCR technique was successful in 54 cases (60%). HPVs were found in seven cases, that is, a prevalence of 13%. HPVs were associated with 5 cases of hypopharyngeal carcinoma and 2 cases of carcinoma of the oral cavity. Patients with HNC HPV+ had a median age of 42 years against 49 years for HPV-patients. Three patients (42.8%) with HPV+ carcinomas were smokers. Of the 47 HPV-patients, 40 patients (87.1%) had alcohol intoxication and/or smoking. The concept of oral sex was refuted by all our patients. Squamous cell carcinoma was the only histological type found. HPV+ cell carcinoma showed no specific histological appearance. HPVs are another certain RF of HNC in Senegal. The major therapeutic and prognostic impact of HPVinduced cancers requires the systematic search of the viruses by the PCR technique.

GST genotypes in head and neck cancer patients and its clinical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Polymorphisms of carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes, known to be involved in metabolism of carcinogens found in tobacco smoke, are relatively common in most populations. Cigarette and bidi smoking has been demonstrated to increase the risk of head and neck cancers in our study group. This study evaluated the risk of ...

Perception of risk and subjective health among victims of the Chernobyl disaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Havenaar, J M; de Wilde, E J; van den Bout, J; Drottz-Sjöberg, B M; van den Brink, W

2003-02-01

Several studies have demonstrated that the nuclear power plant accident at Chernobyl in 1986 had a strong impact on the subjective health of the inhabitants in the surrounding regions and that the majority of these health complaints appear to be stress-related. An epidemiological survey among the adult population of the Gomel region in Belarus near Chernobyl showed higher rates of self-reported health problems, psychological distress and medical service use in this region than in a comparable unexposed region. This paper presents an analysis of data on cognitive factors that were collected in this study. The findings support the hypothesis that cognitive variables such as risk perception and sense of control play an important role as mediating factors in the explanation of the observed health differences between the exposed and non-exposed regions. A tentative model is presented to further clarify the role of risk perception in the occurrence of non-specific health complaints after such ecological disasters.

Simultaneous head tissue conductivity and EEG source location estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Akalin Acar, Zeynep; Acar, Can E; Makeig, Scott

2016-01-01

Accurate electroencephalographic (EEG) source localization requires an electrical head model incorporating accurate geometries and conductivity values for the major head tissues. While consistent conductivity values have been reported for scalp, brain, and cerebrospinal fluid, measured brain-to-skull conductivity ratio (BSCR) estimates have varied between 8 and 80, likely reflecting both inter-subject and measurement method differences. In simulations, mis-estimation of skull conductivity can produce source localization errors as large as 3cm. Here, we describe an iterative gradient-based approach to Simultaneous tissue Conductivity And source Location Estimation (SCALE). The scalp projection maps used by SCALE are obtained from near-dipolar effective EEG sources found by adequate independent component analysis (ICA) decomposition of sufficient high-density EEG data. We applied SCALE to simulated scalp projections of 15cm(2)-scale cortical patch sources in an MR image-based electrical head model with simulated BSCR of 30. Initialized either with a BSCR of 80 or 20, SCALE estimated BSCR as 32.6. In Adaptive Mixture ICA (AMICA) decompositions of (45-min, 128-channel) EEG data from two young adults we identified sets of 13 independent components having near-dipolar scalp maps compatible with a single cortical source patch. Again initialized with either BSCR 80 or 25, SCALE gave BSCR estimates of 34 and 54 for the two subjects respectively. The ability to accurately estimate skull conductivity non-invasively from any well-recorded EEG data in combination with a stable and non-invasively acquired MR imaging-derived electrical head model could remove a critical barrier to using EEG as a sub-cm(2)-scale accurate 3-D functional cortical imaging modality. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development and Design of Next-Generation Head-Mounted Ambulatory Microdose Positron-Emission Tomography (AM-PET) System.

Science.gov (United States)

Melroy, Samantha; Bauer, Christopher; McHugh, Matthew; Carden, Garret; Stolin, Alexander; Majewski, Stan; Brefczynski-Lewis, Julie; Wuest, Thorsten

2017-05-19

Several applications exist for a whole brain positron-emission tomography (PET) brain imager designed as a portable unit that can be worn on a patient's head. Enabled by improvements in detector technology, a lightweight, high performance device would allow PET brain imaging in different environments and during behavioral tasks. Such a wearable system that allows the subjects to move their heads and walk-the Ambulatory Microdose PET (AM-PET)-is currently under development. This imager will be helpful for testing subjects performing selected activities such as gestures, virtual reality activities and walking. The need for this type of lightweight mobile device has led to the construction of a proof of concept portable head-worn unit that uses twelve silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) PET module sensors built into a small ring which fits around the head. This paper is focused on the engineering design of mechanical support aspects of the AM-PET project, both of the current device as well as of the coming next-generation devices. The goal of this work is to optimize design of the scanner and its mechanics to improve comfort for the subject by reducing the effect of weight, and to enable diversification of its applications amongst different research activities.

Development and Design of Next-Generation Head-Mounted Ambulatory Microdose Positron-Emission Tomography (AM-PET System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samantha Melroy

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Several applications exist for a whole brain positron-emission tomography (PET brain imager designed as a portable unit that can be worn on a patient’s head. Enabled by improvements in detector technology, a lightweight, high performance device would allow PET brain imaging in different environments and during behavioral tasks. Such a wearable system that allows the subjects to move their heads and walk—the Ambulatory Microdose PET (AM-PET—is currently under development. This imager will be helpful for testing subjects performing selected activities such as gestures, virtual reality activities and walking. The need for this type of lightweight mobile device has led to the construction of a proof of concept portable head-worn unit that uses twelve silicon photomultiplier (SiPM PET module sensors built into a small ring which fits around the head. This paper is focused on the engineering design of mechanical support aspects of the AM-PET project, both of the current device as well as of the coming next-generation devices. The goal of this work is to optimize design of the scanner and its mechanics to improve comfort for the subject by reducing the effect of weight, and to enable diversification of its applications amongst different research activities.

Head and neck tumors and impaired mental function following scalp irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modan, B.; Ron, E.; Werner, A.; Yaar, I.

1977-01-01

This is a second report of a comprehensive case-control study of 11,000 individuals subjected to scalp x-irradiation in childhood between 1949 and 1960. Follow up was conducted through the following national records: Tumor, Registry, Central Population Registry, Mental Health Registry, Nationwide High School Aptitude Test, Police, Ministry of Welfare and the Army. In addition, a sample of the cases and of the controls was brought in for clinical examinations, psychological testing and computerized EEG. The mean dose delivered to the brain, as determined by dosimetric studies, was 140r and to the thyroid 6-9r. Specific topics to be presented and discussed are as follows: an increased risk of head and neck tumors and the presence of a dose response relationship. The implication of the marked increase in risk for thyroid tumors, in view of the low dose delivered to this organ. Radiation effect on brain function as evidenced by a lower educational achievement, a lower basic intelligence level, somewhat impaired mental ability, and an increased rate of admissions to mental hospitals among cases, as compared to each of the two control groups, as well as the presence of a hyperactivity pattern on EEG

Hybrid III anthropomorphic test device (ATD) response to head impacts and potential implications for athletic headgear testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartsch, Adam; Benzel, Edward; Miele, Vincent; Morr, Douglas; Prakash, Vikas

2012-09-01

The Hybrid III 50th percentile male anthropomorphic test device (ATD) is the most widely used human impact testing surrogate and has historically been used in automotive or military testing. More recently, this ATD is finding use in applications evaluating athletic helmet protectivity, quantifying head impact dosage and estimating injury risk. But ATD head-neck response has not been quantified in omnidirectional athletic-type head impacts absent axial preload. It is probable that headgear injury reduction that can be quantified in a laboratory, including in American football, boxing, hockey, lacrosse and soccer, is related to a number of interrelated kinetic and kinematic factors, such as head center of gravity linear acceleration, head angular acceleration, head angular velocity, occipito-cervical mechanics and neck stiffness. Therefore, we characterized ATD head-neck dynamic response to direct head impacts in a series of front, oblique front and lateral head impacts. Key findings were: (1) impacts producing highest ATD resultant center of gravity linear acceleration resulted in the lowest resultant occipito-cervical spine bending moment/force. (2) Resultant ATD head angular velocity and angular acceleration did not appear coupled to impact direction at lower impact energy levels; these parameters were coupled at higher energy levels. (3) The ATD had progressively increasing occipito-cervical stiffness in extension, torsion and lateral bending, respectively. Because the ATD neck influenced head and neck impact dosage parameters, testing agencies, manufacturers and researchers should consider using the Hybrid III head form attached to a neck as a means to quantify head and neck injury risks as opposed to systems that do not utilize a neck. This heightened understanding of Hybrid III ATD head-neck response, and consideration of order of stiffest axes in the lateral, oblique and extension directions, respectively, should aid in the development of head and neck injury

Attribution of lifestyle risk factors in subjects with and without Impaired Fasting Glucose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babanejad, M.; Delpisheh, A.; Najafi, F.; Hashemian, A. H.; Parizad, E. G.; Asadollahi, K.

2014-01-01

Objective: To investigate the association between lifestyle risk factors and impaired fasting glucose level. Methods: The large-scale, community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 in Ilam province, Iran, and comprised 150 impaired fasting glucose cases and 450 controls. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a standard lifestyle questionnaire, and subjects were checked for fasting plasma glucose. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results: Of the 600 participants, 172(28.7%) were males and 428(71.3%) were females. Their ages ranged from 20 to 83 years with a mean of 48.9+-14.2 years for the cases and 45.5+-13.4 years for the controls (p 0.05). Using multivariate logistic regression, ghee consumption increased the risk of impaired fasting glucose up to 2.2 folds (Odds Ratio=1.28, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.75-2.2); inactivity up to 2.33 folds (Odds Ratio=1.33, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.75-2.33) and smoking up to 3.13 folds (Odds Ratio=1.46, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.68-3.13). The differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Risk of impaired fasting glucose increases with lifestyle risk factors that need to be considered seriously by policy makers. (author)

Postural Control Characteristics during Single Leg Standing of Individuals with a History of Ankle Sprain: Measurements Obtained Using a Gravicorder and Head and Foot Accelerometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, Yota; Sugaya, Tomoaki; Sakamoto, Masaaki

2014-03-01

[Purpose] This study aimed to validate the postural control characteristics of individuals with a history of ankle sprain during single leg standing by using a gravicorder and head and foot accelerometry. [Subjects] Twenty subjects with and 23 subjects without a history of ankle sprain (sprain and control groups, respectively) participated. [Methods] The anteroposterior, mediolateral, and total path lengths, as well as root mean square (RMS) of each length, were calculated using the gravicorder. The anteroposterior, mediolateral, and resultant acceleration of the head and foot were measured using accelerometers and were evaluated as the ratio of the acceleration of the head to the foot. [Results] There was no significant difference between the two groups in path length or RMS acceleration of the head and foot. However, the ratios of the mediolateral and resultant components were significantly higher in the sprain group than in the control group. [Conclusion] Our findings suggest that individuals with a history of ankle sprain have a higher head-to-foot acceleration ratio and different postural control characteristics than those of control subjects.

Nutrition management for head and neck cancer patients improves clinical outcome and survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller-Richter, Urs; Betz, C; Hartmann, S; Brands, R C

2017-12-01

Up to 80% of patients with head and neck cancers are malnourished because of their lifestyle and the risk factors associated with this disease. Unfortunately, nutrition management systems are not implemented in most head and neck cancer clinics. Even worse, many head and neck surgeons as well as hospital management authorities disregard the importance of nutrition management in head and neck cancer patients. In addition, the often extensive resection and reconstruction required for tumors in the upper aerodigestive tract pose special challenges for swallowing and sufficient food intake, placing special demands on nutrition management. This article presents the basics of perioperative metabolism and nutrition management of head and neck cancer patients and makes recommendations for clinical practice. Implementing a nutrition management system in head and neck cancer clinics will improve the clinical outcome and the survival of the patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impaired masturbation-induced erections: a new cardiovascular risk factor for male subjects with sexual dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Rastrelli, Giulia; Boddi, Valentina; Corona, Giovanni; Mannucci, Edoardo; Maggi, Mario

2013-04-01

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is considered an early surrogate marker of silent, or even overt, cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, epidemiological studies take into account only sexual intercourse-related erections. Although autoeroticism is a very common practice, data on masturbation-induced erections as a possible predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) are lacking. To evaluate the clinical correlates of impaired masturbation-induced erections and to verify the importance of this sexual aspect in predicting MACE. A consecutive series of 4,031 male patients attending the Outpatient Clinic for sexual dysfunction for the first time was retrospectively studied. Among these subjects, 64% reported autoeroticism during the last 3 months, and only this subset was considered in the following analyses. In the longitudinal study, 862 subjects reporting autoeroticism were enrolled. Several clinical, biochemical, and instrumental (Prostaglandin E1 [PGE1 ] test and penile color Doppler ultrasound) parameters were studied. Subjects with an impaired erection during masturbation (46% of those reporting autoeroticism) had more often a positive personal or family history of CVD, a higher risk of reduced intercourse- and sleep-related erections, hypoactive sexual desire and perceived reduced ejaculate volume, and impaired PGE1 test response. Prolactin levels were lower in those having impaired erection during masturbation. In the longitudinal study, unadjusted incidence of MACE was significantly associated with impaired masturbation-induced erections. When dividing the population according to the median age and diagnosis of diabetes, the association between impaired masturbation-induced erections and incidence of MACE was maintained only in the youngest (masturbation-induced erections, can provide further insights on forthcoming MACE in particular in "low risk" subjects. © 2013 International Society for Sexual Medicine.